The menace of mob violence and the weaponization of blasphemy continues unabated as another tragic incident took place in Mardan on Saturday. The incident took place during a PTI rally in Mardan where a man was lynched by a crazed mob over blasphemy accusations. It is important to remember that this is not the first time a man has been lynched over blasphemy accusations in Mardan. What seemed to be an incident that shook the nation’s conscience turned out to be another footnote in the long history of blasphemy related mob violence. The misuse of blasphemy laws is often described by courts as an unlawful act and the Islamabad High Court had previously suggested to the legislature to amend the existing laws to give equal punishment to those who level false blasphemy accusations.

Source: The Nation May 07, 2023 21:15 UTC