Police in north-western Pakistan launched a search on Friday for hundreds of individuals involved in a mob attack which saw a tourist murdered and his body burnt over allegations he desecrated a copy of the Quran, according to multiple media reports.
Mohammad Ismail was being held in a police station on Thursday night over accusations he burnt several pages of the Quran, the Associated Press reported while citing police official Zahid Khan. Hundreds of people then swarmed the station, abducting Ismail, beating him to death and burning his body.
Ismail’s body was recovered on a roadside after the attackers abandoned it.
The police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which held Ismail was also burnt down, alongside several police cars, by the mob.
No arrests have yet been made in relation to the incident.
Blasphemy laws in Pakistan
Insulting Islamic figures or faith in Pakistan can land someone a blasphemy charge, which can result in a death sentence. Accusations of blasphemy have also led to numerous mob attacks.