Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday took notice of a mob lynching incident in Khanewal district of Punjab over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran and pledged “zero tolerance” against the perpetrators.
According to reports, a middle-aged man was stoned to death by a mob in Jungle Dera village of Khanewal district’s Mian Channu on Saturday.
The prime minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident and sought a report from Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab on why they failed to prevent the murder of a man by an angry mob Saturday night.
In a tweet, the prime minister said action will be taken against police officials who “failed in their duty”.
Sialkot incident
The incident has refreshed the memories of a similar incident on December 3 when a mob in Sialkot city of Punjab tortured, killed and then set on fire a Sri Lankan man who was accused of blasphemy over some posters he had allegedly removed.
The ghastly incident was condemned countrywide as well as internationally and the government had claimed strict action against the culprits.
However, despite arrest of several dozens of accused and an across-the-board message that extremists would be dealt with an iron hand, Khanewal incident has once again highlighted the threat of the rise of extremist forces in society.
According to local police and eyewitnesses, the man had reportedly claimed innocence but the villagers first hanged him from a tree and then hit him with stones and bricks until he died.
According to reports, a police team had reached the village well before the stoning and had even taken the victim into custody, but the mob forcibly snatched him from the police Station House Officer’s (SHO) custody.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who has been vocally condemning such incidents in the name of blasphemy, in a tweet said the Sialkot and Mian Channu incidents show “degradation of our social system, loopholes in education and failure to implement and enforce law”.
He said: “We need to reform our pulpit, school and police.”
62 arrested
Meanwhile, Punjab’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan submitted a preliminary report of the incident to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
According to the report, a case was registered against 33 suspects and 300 unknown persons while sections related to heinous crimes and terrorism were also added.
The police have already conducted more than 120 raids at various locations and detained 62 suspects, including primary suspects, while more raids were underway.
