Daily Times

CHITRAL: A mob attacked a man and beat him brutally inside a mosque in Chitral after he was accused of uttering blasphemous remarks following Friday prayers. The man, who is yet to be identified, is alleged to have pushed the imam of the mosque to allow him to speak after Friday prayers, a local present at the site told a private news channel. Eyewitnesses claim the man uttered blasphemous remarks. The police are trying to ascertain the man’s mental health and have held him at a local police station for his own protection. After prayers, worshippers beat the man until the imam handed him over to the police in an attempt to save his life. However, the mob attacked and broke into the police station amid aerial firing and heavy tear gas shelling from the police. The firing resulted in power outages nearby, as transmission lines were damaged by the bullets. The situation is still volatile, police said, as they attempted to cool down the mob and restore peace in the area. The Frontier Corps reached the police station to assist them in maintaining law and order, said a police official, adding that 3,000 to 4,000 people were still present outside the police station. The incident comes days after a mob lynched 23-year-old Mardan university student Mashal Khan over allegations of blasphemy.