ISLAMABAD – Police have arrested over 100 people including six primary suspects in connection with the lynching of a man over alleged blasphemy in in Khanewal district of Punjab last week.
The incident comes just months after a Sri Lankan manager in Sialkot was tortured and burned to death over the same allegations in a mob attack that Prime Minister Imran Khan said had brought shame on the country.
On Sunday, the prime minister ordered authorities to take stern action against the mob and any police who failed to save the life of the middle-aged man who was killed for for allegedly burning pages of the Holy Quran on Saturday. In Tulamba, Khanewal.
A statement issued by Punjab police on Twitter said that 21 main accused have been arrested while a total of 102 suspects have been detained in the case.
خانیوال واقعہ میں پولیس نے مزید 6 مرکزی ملزمان کی شناخت کر کے گرفتار کر لیا۔ ابھی تک 21 مرکزی ملزمان گرفتار جبکہ کل 102 مشتبہ افراد کو حراست میں لیا گیا ہے۔ ملزمان کی گرفتاری کے لیے خفیہ آپریشن رات سے جاری۔ https://t.co/QIBwGMK9l8
— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) February 14, 2022
Police said that raids are being conducted to arrest more suspects since Sunday night.
The mob gathered at a mosque on Saturday night after the son of its prayer leader claimed that he had spotted the man burning pages of the holy book, a report said, adding that the violent people later brutally killed him and hanged his body from the tree.
The dead man has been identified as Muhammad Mustaq, 50, and reportedly suffering from mental illness.
