Jamia Binoria slams Swat lynching

Probe gets under way to identify and arrest perpetrators

KARACHI/PESHAWAR:

Renowned religious scholar and head of Jamia Binoria Alamiya on Friday condemned the killing of a tourist in the Swat district on accusations of blasphemy, saying that Islam does not permit the killing of a person on mere allegations, without proper investigation and evidence.

In his reaction to Thursday’s incident in Madyan, Jamia President Mufti Dr Nauman Naeem said it was incumbent upon every person in such situations to take the legal route instead of taking the law into their own hands.

On Thursday, a mob killed a tourist after accusing him of desecrating the holy Quran. They ransacked a police station holding the suspect in protective custody, set it ablaze and injured eight policemen. They later dragged his bloodied body through the streets.

Mufti Naeem said that the incident was very sad and brought shame upon the nation. He expressed concerns over the recurrence of such events in the country. “We should focus on promoting tolerance, and act against violence and intolerance in society,” he urged.

“The religion of Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance, which does not allow anyone to be killed on the basis of mere accusation without investigation and proof. A person guilty of insulting Islam should be punished but it is the state which wields authority, not any individuals, to impose any punishment.”

He said that many such incidents had taken place in Pakistan, but when investigated, it transpired that there was no blasphemy, rather personal grudges were involved. “The religious segment of society has always condemned such incidents and termed them anti-Islam.”

Mufti Dr Nauman Naeem urged the authorities concerned to bring the perpetrators to justice and punish those who took the law into their hands. He stressed that it was the responsibility of the government to bring those committing blasphemy to justice.

In Madyan, a popular tourist destination, the situation was brought under control and a case had been registered against the mob organisers, Malankand Regional Police Officer (RPO) Mohammad Ali Gandapur said. Authorities have begun an investigation to identify and arrest the mob members, he added.

Gandapur said the man had been visiting the Swat Valley during the Eidul Azha holidays. “After initially rescuing the man from the crowd, the police took him to the station in Madyan, but announcements from mosque loudspeakers asked locals to come out,” he said, after which the mob stormed the station.

A media report quoted the Madyan police as saying that they had registered two first information reports (FIRs) of the incident, which had been sealed for “security purposes”. The report said that no arrests had been made so far. (WITH INPUT FROM REUTERS)