Swat lynching of blasphemy accused: Here is how the tragedy unfolded

police and other state agencies have not found any evidence of blasphemy against Suleman Ahmad, a Sialkot resident who was in Swat to spend some time with Nature but he was accused of tearing and burning pages of the Holy Quran and then lynched by an angry mob. His body was later set on fire.–Photo courtesy social media

Swat is one the most beautiful tourist attractions in Pakistan and people of this area are usually considered peaceful and tolerant but the latest incident of mob lynching has shaken the region in particular and Pakistan in general.

As of today, June 23, 2024, police and other state agencies have not found any evidence of blasphemy against Suleman Ahmad, a Sialkot resident who was in Swat to spend some time with Nature but he was accused of tearing and burning pages of the Holy Quran and then lynched by an angry mob. His body was later set on fire.

According to the owner of the hotel where Suleman was staying, he came on June 18 and rented a room. On June 20, he heard some people living in rooms near Suleman’s room making noise and he reached there to see what’s going on. Those people were holding some burnt pages of the Holy Quran and they were knocking the door of Suleman’s room, but he was not opening the door.

Suleman opened the door of his room a bit later, but the police had arrived by that time. The police took Suleman to the police station.

The point to be noted here is that how would the people living in the nearby rooms know that Suleman burnt the pages of the Holy Quran. And if he was committing this blasphemous act inside his room, then how does these burnt pages of the Holy Quran came out of his room?

According to the local people of Swat, announcements were made about this incident from the mosque loudspeakers. In addition, announcements were made from a vehicle fitted with a loudspeaker. Consequently, a large crowd stormed the police station.

The point to be noted here is that only the hotel management knew about this incident, then who made announcements in mosques and who had already arranged a vehicle fitted with a loudspeaker?

Now the police have sealed the hotel where this incident occurred. It is important to identify the people who were staying in the hotel near Suleman’s room.

Madyan Police Station SHO Islam-ul-Haq says that once Suleman arrived at the police station, he asked him if he is an Ahmadi? And he said, No! I am a Muslim by the grace of God. The SHO said he asked the accused, “Did you desecrate the Holy Quran?” He said, “I did not do this. I am a Muslim. Why would I desecrate the Holy Quran?”

In the meantime, the angry mob stormed the police station. The SHO took the accused to his quarter to save him from the mob, but people reached there, snatched the accused from him and took him away.

According to the police, a copy of the Holy Quran was burnt in the arson attack carried out by the angry mob. The mob also burnt nine vehicles and 10 motorcycles during the arson attack on the Madyan Police Station. The mob also set some rooms of the police station on fire.

GRAPHIC WARNING

According to the regional police officer, there is only one FIR registered against the accused in Pakistan. Suleman’s mother got an FIR registered against him with Sialkot’s Civil Lines Police Station on July 4, 2022. In this FIR, Suleman’s mother alleged that his son has returned from Malaysia and now he hurls abuses and murder threats at her.

However, in a video message recorded after Suleman’s lynching his mother said she and her entire family had not relation with Suleman and whatever he did. She said her family is Muslim and they had cut off ties with Suleman sometime ago. This video statement of Suleman’s mother is now circulating on social media.

Citing the local people of Swat, journalists who visited the area after the mob lynching incident say a religious group was behind the incitement.

The point to be noted here is that all protest gatherings are held at Madyan Adda, but in this case the mob took the body of Suleman across Sore Pull and burnt it there. And surprisingly woods were already there to burn the body.

According to the local sources, the planning for Suleman’s murder was done somewhere else some days ago and Thursday was chosen to execute this plan so that violent protests are held in Swat the next day, Friday. However, this plan failed as the people of Swat did not do any such thing on Friday.

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