A 36-year-old man was killed and his body burned after being accused of desecrating the Quran, the holy book of Muslims.
The incident occurred in Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday evening in Madyan, a town in the Swat district, a popular tourist destination located 280 km (174 miles) from the capital city of Islamabad.
Police officials in Swat reported that the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was a tourist from Sialkot, Punjab.
He had been accused of “insulting the Quran,” though the specifics of his actions remain unclear.
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“Our police team reached the main market in Madyan to arrest the man and took him to the police station, but the crowd demanded to have him handed over,” a police official told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity.
Officials added that a large group of hundreds of people gathered outside the Madyan police station where the man was being held by police, attacked the premises and dragged the man out before killing him. How he was killed is unclear, although one police source based at the central Swat police headquarters, about one hour away from Madyan, told Al Jazeera by telephone that the man had been “tortured to death”. Videos circulating on social media show a large crowd chanting religious slogans and surrounding a burning body.
A senior Swat police official, Zahid Ullah Khan, told the media that the group also set fire to the police station and a police vehicle. He added that investigations into the incident were underway.
However, the police have not confirmed whether a First Information Report (FIR) was filed regarding the incident or if any arrests have been made.
Officials at the Civil Hospital in Madyan confirmed to Al Jazeera that at least eight people were brought in overnight with minor injuries from the incident, and all have been treated and discharged.
While traffic was temporarily halted through the main market area of Madyan overnight, local officials stated that the situation in town has returned to normal with businesses operating and tourist traffic flowing as usual.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also condemned the tourist’s death and requested an immediate report on the incident from the police.
According to a statement from the chief minister’s office, Gandapur directed the provincial police chief to take emergency measures to control the situation.
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