A man in Pakistan was beaten to death by rallygoers for allegedly making a blasphemous speech. The victim, Maulana Nigar Alam, was killed by a group of demonstrators in Sawaldher village of Mardan district. The rallygoers had gathered to express support for the country’s judiciary when Alam made a concluding prayer. Some words of his prayer were deemed blasphemous by a number of protestors, leading to his torture and death at the hands of the angry mob. The police deputy on duty attempted to save him by locking him up in a nearby shop, but the mob broke through the door and attacked him. Videos circulating on social media showed people pushing the accused man to the ground, kicking him and beating him with batons.
Accusing people of blasphemy in Pakistan is common. Last month, a Chinese national named Tian was arrested and later released for blasphemy accusations. In February, an angry mob entered a police station in Lahore, snatched a person accused of blasphemy from his cell and killed him. In 2021, a Sri Lankan national, Priyantha Diyawadanage, who was working as a factory manager in Pakistan, was killed by an angry mob over allegations of blasphemy. In 2017, Pakistani student Mashal Khan was killed by a mob on the premises of his university over allegations of posting blasphemous content online.
An investigation is underway regarding Alam’s death. The police took his body into custody.
