The National Assembly passed a resolution on Sunday condemning the incidents of mob lynching in various parts of the country.
The resolution, moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, emphasised that the right to life was the most cherished right enshrined in the Constitution. “Every person is to be dealt with in accordance with the law and not otherwise,” it stated.
A violent mob lynched a man and set his body on fire over alleged desecration of the holy Quran in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat on Thursday.
At least 23 suspects have been arrested in the case, according to police. “The case was registered against 49 known and 2,500 unknown accused named in the FIR,” Swat DPO Zahidullah Khan told Aaj Exclusive.
Moreover, the lower house of Parliament expressed concerns over the mob lynching of citizens accused of offences in Swat and Sargodha, noting with grave concern that such incidents have been on the rise. “Such actions cannot be tolerated in any civilised society,” it declared.
The august House urged both the federal and provincial governments to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, including religious minorities and other vulnerable segments of society.
It called for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab governments to take necessary measures to identify, investigate, and prosecute those involved in these incidents under the relevant laws.
Furthermore, the House hoped that the courts would ensure speedy justice in such cases and called for swift legal action to prevent future occurrences of such events.
According to Peter Jacob, the executive director of the Centre for Social Justice, fair trial and investigation should be conducted in such cases as in the past some of the suspects were released by courts in similar cases because of their young age.
“So far, 100 people have been killed over blasphemy allegations since 1994 till to date and 700 people are in Punjab jail. Thousands of people have been victims of false allegations and this year’s statistics show over 85% of victims belong to the religion of Islam,” he said while appearing on Aaj News show.
