The man, a Muslim, was arrested on Wednesday in Quetta, Balochistan after a video of him went viral and a case was filed against him.

A mob of around 200 young people later attacked the police station where he was being held, forcing the authorities to move him to another station.

“An on-duty policeman attacked him inside the lockup and shot him dead,” the head of Balochistan police Moazzam Jah Ansari told AFP.

“We have arrested him and registered a murder case against him,” he said.

Muhammad Baloch, a senior local police official, also confirmed the details to AFP.

Rights groups say accusations of blasphemy can often be wielded to settle personal vendettas, with minorities largely the target.

The Punjab governor was killed by his bodyguard in 2011 after calling for reforms to the strict blasphemy laws.