PTI rally speaker lynched by mob over blasphemy

PESHAWAR: A local was lynched by a mob after he allegedly spoke blasphemous words during a political gathering in Sawaldher, Mardan, on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Maulana Nigar of Sawaldher, who was said to be addressing a gathering of the local chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). 

His “blasphemous words” during the winding-up speech and Dua at the gathering enraged a large number of people in the audience. An official said the number of angry people increased to thousands within no time. “The police responded to the situation immediately. However, the enraged mob went out of control and killed Nigar. 

The cops shifted the body for postmortem while police reserves have been deployed in the area. Also, legal action is being taken,” Muhammad Ali Khan, Regional Police Officer, Mardan, told The News. 

The caretaker chief minister, Azam Khan, condemned the incident and directed the police to maintain law and order. The chief minister said during political rallies, speakers should avoid religious statements and give a religious touch to a political issue.

He asked religious scholars to play their role in defusing the situation and asked the people not to take the law into their hands.