A police officer in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province fatally shot a man in custody on Thursday who was being held on blasphemy charges. The incident took place in a secure police station in Quetta, the provincial capital, a day after the suspect was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.
The suspect, identified as Abdul Ali, was taken into custody in the Kharotabad neighbourhood of Quetta. His arrest quickly drew the attention of local residents, leading to a volatile situation outside the police detention facility. Witnesses reported that a mob of dozens surrounded the facility, demanding that Ali be handed over to them. The crowd’s hostility escalated to the point where they reportedly threw a grenade at the building, though the blast caused no casualties.
In response to the threat posed by the mob, police transferred Ali to a more secure location within the central garrison area of Quetta. However, it was here that an on-duty police officer shot and killed him inside the lockup. Senior local police officer Muhammad Baloch confirmed the incident, stating that the officer responsible had been arrested and a murder case registered against him. The name of the policeman involved in the shooting has not been disclosed.
Following the killing, further tensions arose when activists from a religious party intervened in the burial process. They prevented Ali’s family from burying him in his hometown of Pishin, approximately 50 kilometers from Quetta. Those attempting to carry out the burial were forced to flee the graveyard along with the body due to the threat posed by the activists.
The incident has sparked a mix of reactions in Pakistan. In Islamabad, an Islamic party senator, Abdul Shakoor Khan, expressed support for the police officer who carried out the shooting. Speaking in the upper house of parliament, Khan stated his intention to provide legal assistance to the accused officer, asserting, “We will not tolerate anyone issuing blasphemous remarks against the Holy Prophet.”
Blasphemy remains a deeply sensitive and contentious issue in Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country. Mere allegations of blasphemy have historically led to mob violence, with many suspects being lynched even while in police custody.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws prescribe the death penalty for insulting the Quran or Islamic beliefs, although no official executions have taken place under these laws. Thursday’s killing by a police officer, however, marks a significant and unprecedented escalation, being the first incident of its kind.
This incident follows a series of recent cases of violence related to blasphemy accusations in Pakistan. In early June, a 74-year-old Christian man from Sargodha district in Punjab province died in hospital after being violently attacked by a mob following allegations of blasphemy. Later that month, a Muslim man was lynched by a mob in the scenic Swat Valley for allegedly desecrating the Quran.
Domestic and international human rights organisations have long called for reforms to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, arguing that they are often exploited to settle personal disputes or to target minority communities. The fear of retaliation from religious groups has deterred judges from proceeding with trials of suspects, leaving hundreds languishing in jails across the country.
Image source: hindustantimes.com
Read also:
Click here for more News & Current Affairs at EU Today
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eutoday1049