PTI supporter cleric lynched in Mardan

MARDAN:

A local cleric, who happened to be an ardent supporter of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was lynched by an angry mob on the charges of blasphemy in Mardan district of Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (K-P) on Saturday. Police said that the cleric identified as Nigar was killed by angry PTI supporters when he delivered a speech at a PTI rally in Sawaldhir village of the district.

A video of the lynching was widely circulated on social media platforms in which the cleric could be seen lying on the ground and the angry mob stoned him. He appeared to be already dead in the footage. A voice from the mob said that he (the cleric) wanted such a death and he got it. Another video clip also made rounds on social media platforms in which the cleric could be seen delivering a speech which finally led to his death at the hand of his own party workers.

District Police Officer (DPO) Mardan Najeeb Rehman told The Express Tribune that the police tried to save the cleric by taking him to a shop but the mob reached there too. He said that an FIR will be registered after proper investigation.