LAHORE: In response to the recent mob lynching of a 40-year-old man in Swat, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is pleading with the federal government to act swiftly and strictly. The man was accused of defacing pages of the holy Quran, a charge he reportedly refuted while detained by police.
The brutality of the victim’s lynching, the mob’s aggressive declaration of their moral self-righteousness, and the fact that this is the second incident of this kind in less than a month (after Nazir Masih’s death in Sargodha) should demonstrate that the state has, knowingly or unknowingly, abdicated its authority when it comes to cases of faith-based mob violence, according to a press release from HRCP.
These kinds of occurrences no longer just stem from bad legislation that can be used as a weapon because of blasphemy. Rather, it claims that they are the direct outcome of decades of intentionally fostering and catering to far-right religious groups and militancy.
“Where decisive action was required, the state appeared indifferent to such incidents and granted impunity to those who commit acts of faith-based violence, thereby participating directly in this.”
Furthermore, mob lynchings are no longer limited to acts of violence motivated by religion. It claims that in at least three recent occurrences in Karachi since March, enraged mobs have apprehended and executed suspected criminals.
“This reflects a general sense of economic and social despondency, a near-breakdown of law and order, and a deep mistrust of the criminal justice system.”
