Mob tried to stone engineer to death

U.S. embassy officials in Islamabad have asked the Pakistan government to inquire into an incident on Sunday in which an American engineer was violently attacked by a mob that attempted to stone him to death.

The incident took place at Jaranwala, near Faislabad, in the central Punjab. Only days earlier, in the same area, Zahid Shah, 40, was stoned to death, on the orders of a mosque Imam.

The Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP), Malik Asif Hayat, has ordered an inquiry. The federal government has also sought a detailed report from the IGP.

U.S. citizen, Faraz Javed, a young American engineer of Pakistan origin, employed for some time with the U.S. navy, was visiting relatives in Jaranwala.

While offering prayers at a local mosque, along with relatives, Faraz, angered by the anti-U.S. content of the sermons delivered by the Imam (prayer leader) of the mosque, Hafiz Abdul Latif, challenged the Imam after the prayers ended. He asked him to "avoid making political speeches" and instead concentrate on "the issues of Islam only."

Faraz's strong criticism of the sermons led to an exchange of words, following which the Imam accused the U.S. citizen of "being against Muslims" and an "agent of the American government." He urged people present in the mosque to stone Faraz to death.

While Faraz and his relative, Mohammed Naeem escaped, Naeem's house, where Faraz was staying, was pelted with stones and attacked by a mob of several hundred people. "An air of frenzy was built up in the area," local police officials stated.

Faraz contacted U.S. embassy officials in Islamabad, who offered him immediate shelter and demanded the Pakistan government protect him.

Following the communication between U.S. officials and government members in Islamabad, local police were urged to "act immediately" with orders coming from the interior ministry.

Police arrested the Imam and at least three others, while a full investigation into the incident has been called.

The government noted this is the second incident within a few days in the same area where an Imam ordered an attack on an individual.

In the previous incident, which took place only days ago, Zahid Shah, 40, was stoned to death by a mob at Village Chak Jhumra on the orders of Imam Faqir Mohammed. The Imam accused Zahid, who had gone to a local mosque to offer Friday prayers, of blasphemy. The charges date back to an incident in 1994 when Zahid, then residing in the village, had been accused by the same Imam of "uttering words against Islam."

Zahid Shah then fled the area, but returned recently to live with his brother. The Imam of the mosque, during the Friday congregation, recognised him as a 'blasphemer.' After the prayers, he called a 'panchayat', or an informal gathering of village elders.

In an unfortunate echo of the 'panchayat' or 'jirga' verdict in the gang-rape case in Meerwala, this gathering ordered that Zahid be stoned to death. The house of Zahid's brother was then attacked by a mob said to number "almost 1,000 people."

Zahid was dragged out of the house and beaten unconscious. While his wife and brother looked on helplessly, the mosque Imam, Faqir Mohammed, then apparently ordered he be stoned to death and during this process he died on the spot.

Eye-witnesses talking to local pressmen also claim that in the moments before his death, the victim's brother, Naeem, had begged for mercy and maintained that his brother would "leave the area forever if spared." He was ignored by the frenzied mob.

Police arrived on the spot only four hours after Zahid had been brutally killed. His widow and son have fled. Zahid was related to the deputy nazim of the area. Following press reports, the federal government has ordered the Punjab police chief to forward a full report on the matter, "including police negligence leading to the unlawful death of a citizen at the hands of a mob."

Malik Asif Hayat, the IG Police, has sent a special team, comprising three senior officials, to the area from Lahore.

"We have begun an investigation into this whole terrible affair," local police officer Mohammed Arif said on Sunday.

The incident, coming so soon after the controversy in Muzzafargarh over the gang-rape awarded as a punishment, has drawn renewed concern over the actions of local 'jirgas' and the instigation to violence by influential people.