PM Orders Probe Into Nankana Sahib Mob Killing

News Desk

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the killing of a man by a mob in Nankana Sahib after a crowd stormed a police station where he was being held over blasphemy allegations.

The prime minister took notice of the incident and stressed that the rule of law must be upheld, questioning why police officials failed to prevent the mob from entering the station and killing the suspect.

According to police, hundreds of people forced their way into the police station in Warburton, Nankana Sahib, on Saturday, attacked police personnel and dragged the 35-year-old man from custody. He was subsequently beaten to death, while the mob also attempted to set his body on fire.

Police said the crowd vandalised the station during the attack. Authorities are investigating the incident and attempting to identify those involved in the killing.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said no individual or group should be allowed to take the law into its own hands and directed authorities to determine why the police failed to protect the man in custody.

The killing has also drawn condemnation from Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, who described the incident as both unconstitutional and un-Islamic.

Ashrafi said that allegations of blasphemy must be dealt with through the legal system and that only courts have the authority to determine guilt and punishment. He called for the perpetrators to be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The incident has renewed concerns over mob violence linked to blasphemy allegations in Pakistan, where accusations can trigger violent attacks even before a case is adjudicated by a court.

Human rights organisations have previously warned that blasphemy accusations can also be exploited to settle personal disputes.

The Nankana Sahib killing follows several high-profile cases of mob violence over alleged blasphemy, including the 2021 killing and burning of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot and the 2017 lynching of university student Mashal Khan.

The latest incident has prompted renewed calls for stronger enforcement of the rule of law and greater accountability for those involved in mob violence.