PUNJAB: A man accused of committing blasphemy axed to death in Punjab’s Jhang district, police said on Friday.
According to police, the deceased Taqi Shah, a religious scholar from the Shia community, and his friend were going to home on a motorbike after organizing a festival in Basti Murad of Shorkot tehsil when they were attacked by a man on March 24.
Taqi lost his balance and fell on the road upon which the attacker axed him (Taqi) to death, police said. However, his friend Hasnain remained safe in the incident and is a witness in the case. Soon after the incident police reached the spot and shifted the body to a nearby hospital for medico-legal formalities.
Meanwhile, on the complaint of a family member of the deceased police have registered a murder case against three suspects including one identified man and two unidentified persons at Shorkot City police station.
The complainant alleged that the victim was killed by the primary suspect after developing a dispute with him “while playing volleyball. Investigation Officer said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday evening and was presented before a magistrate who sent him to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
The police officials said the suspect and the victim had engaged in a quarrel while playing volleyball some days ago and the matter had been resolved at the time. However, the suspect later developed a grudge against Taqi and attacked him with an axe and killed him.
Meanwhile, Jhang District Police Officer (DPO) that the suspect had killed the man after accusing him of committing blasphemy against companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
He said the suspect and the victim had also developed a disagreement over playing volleyball some days ago. The suspect in his statement confessed to killing the victim, Taqi Shah, over blasphemy allegations, the police official added.
The victim was also facing charges of committing blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in a court, he said, adding that the blasphemy case against him was registered in 2019.
On November 4, 2020, a bank manager was gunned down by a security guard allegedly over blasphemy allegations in the Khushab area of Punjab.
According to sources, a security guard opened fire at the manager, Malik Imran Hanif of the National Bank of Pakistan branch in Quaidabad tehsil of Khushab. As a result, he sustained severe bullet injuries.
The injured was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, due to his critical injuries, he was taken to Lahore where he succumbed to his injuries at the Services Hospital.
A police source informed that it would be premature to comment on the motive behind the murder, but confirmed that the security guard, who was arrested after the incident, had claimed to have killed Hanif over blasphemy.
In a video of the suspect that was shared on social media, the guard could be heard saying that the deceased manager had “insulted the prophet”.
Quoting initial reports the police official said the security guard and the manager had been quarreling for some time. The guard has reportedly fired a few months ago; he was subsequently rehired and had an argument with Hanif a few days ago, the officer added.
