In north-west Pakistan, a tourist was forced out of police station and killed by a mob after being accused of blasphemy.
The incident occurred in the town of Madyan, Swat district, where the police had been attempting to protect the man from the large crowd that had gathered after he was accused of desecrating the Quran on Thursday.
Lynchings are not uncommon in Pakistan following accusations of blasphemy, which can carry the death penalty. Last month, a Christian man was similarly attacked and killed after being accused of burning pages of the Quran.
Video footage of this latest incident has sparked outrage on social media in Pakistan, showing the victim’s body being paraded through the streets before being set on fire. Police confirmed that the tourist was “torched” and reported that 11 people were injured, including eight officers.
Malakand division’s regional police chief, Mohammad Ali Gandapur, accused a local mosque of inciting the mob after police had initially rescued the man, who was visiting the Swat Valley, a popular summer destination.
Dr. Zahidullah, a police officer in the Swat region, told BBC Urdu that police made significant efforts to clear blocked roads and disperse the angry crowd on Thursday night.
Authorities have opened a case against hundreds of people involved in the incident, some as young as 13, and have deployed additional security forces to the region.
Hotels in the town, previously full, are now seeing tourists scrambling to leave.
Violence fueled by religious accusations has increased in Pakistan since blasphemy was made a crime punishable by death in the 1980s, a law originally established under British rule in the 19th century. Even baseless accusations can provoke protests and mob violence against the alleged offenders.
Human rights critics argue that minorities are often targeted by such accusations. Approximately 96% of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, and other countries like Iran, Brunei, and Mauritania also impose capital punishment for insulting religion.