CHITRAL: A man was attacked by a mob in a mosque in Chitral after he allegedly uttered blasphemous statements following Friday prayers.
The man, who is yet to be identified, pushed the imam of the mosque to allow him to speak after jummah prayers, a local present at the site told a private news channel.
Despite not being granted explicit permission to do so, the man stood and began uttering blasphemous statements, the eyewitness alleged.
Attendees began beating the man up, inflicting injuries on him, until the imam handed him over to the police in an attempt to save his life.
The police, who were trying to ascertain the man’s mental wellness and personal details, held him at a local police station for his own protection.
However, a mob attacked and broke into the police station amid aerial firing and heavy tear gas shelling from the police. The firing resulted in power outages nearby as transmission lines were damaged by bullets.
The situation is still volatile, police said, as they attempted to cool down the mob and restore peace in the area.
The incident comes days after a vigilante mob lynched 23-year-old Mardan university student Mashal Khan over allegations of blasphemy.