Pakistan: Mob attacks Shia scholar over blasphemy allegations in Punjab

A mob attacked and injured a Shia scholar for allegedly burning the pages of a religious book in Pakistan's Punjab, where a middle-aged mentally challenged man was stoned to death on Saturday over charges of blasphemy.

Dozens of people carrying clubs, bricks and other objects surrounded the house of the scholar in Tandlianwala, Faisalabad district, 180 km from Lahore, over blasphemy allegations. However, the police reached at the spot and rescued him. The police shifted him to an undisclosed location. His family was also relocated to another area.

The province has witnessed two deaths related to mob lynching in the past two months. On Saturday, mentally challenged Mushtaq Ahmed, a resident of Bara Chak village, was stoned to death and his body hung from a tree by a mob of over 300 for allegedly desecrating the holy book in Jungle Derawala village in Khanewal district in the province, sparking nationwide outrage. The police have arrested 105 including 21 main suspects in the Khanewal lynching case, a senior officer of Punjab Police told PTI on Monday. He said the police have arrested the suspects through CCTV footage.

Pakistan has extremely strict blasphemy laws, including the death penalty, and rights campaigners say they are often used to settle scores in the Muslim majority country.