A Muslim scholar killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan

RELIGIOUS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – A Muslim scholar was killed by a mob in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan for making allegedly blasphemous remarks in a political rally.

Independent reported Maulana Nigar Alam, 40, was beaten by an angry mob of hundreds of people in Sawaldher village in Mardan district, north-east of Peshawar, on Saturday night, police officer Iqbal Khan said.

Disturbing and graphic videos of the incident which are being widely circulated on social media in Pakistani showed a charged- up crowd beating the man with batons and later stomping after he fell unconscious.

The man allegedly made a blasphemous remark while standing on stage to deliver a prayer at the end of a rally in support of the Pakistani judiciary.

“Some words of his prayer were deemed blasphemous by a number of protesters, leading to torture and death at the hands of the angry mob,” said Mr Khan.

The incident happened despite the presence of police officers at the rally.

According to eyewitnesses, the police deputy on duty at the rally locked the man inside a nearby shop to save him from the mob but people overpowered the police and broke through the door, dragging him out.

Alam died at the scene and later the police took the body into custody.

Accusations of blasphemy, a crime under Pakistan’s laws, have led to a number of mob lynchings in the Muslim-majority country.