<p>A man was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of blasphemy at a rally for former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's party, officials said Sunday.</p>.<p>Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence.</p>.<p>Video of the lynching has been shared widely on social media, with police seen vainly trying to stop a frenzied mob from beating the alleged blasphemer.</p>.<p>The incident took place on Saturday in the Sawal Dher area of Mardan city in the country's ultra-conservative northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/khalistani-terrorist-paramjit-singh-panjwar-shot-dead-in-lahore-1216392.html" target="_blank">Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar shot dead in Lahore</a></strong></p>.<p>Police said a man identified as Nigar Alam was asked to deliver the concluding prayer at a rally organised by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party when the crowd took offence to his comments.</p>.<p>He managed to flee the scene, police said, but a mob tracked him down to a relative's house.</p>.<p>"A group of individuals climbed over the wall, barged inside, and beat him to death with sticks and batons," said district police chief Najeeb-ur-Rehman</p>.<p>"The mob was so agitated that it became extremely challenging for the police to even recover the body," he told <em>AFP.</em></p>.<p>Another local police official, Umair Khan, confirmed the incident.</p>.<p>PTI leader Khan was not present at the rally and party officials had no immediate comment on the incident.</p>.<p>Few issues in Pakistan are as galvanising as blasphemy, and even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests and incite lynchings.</p>.<p>According to the Centre for Social Justice -- an independent group advocating for the rights of minorities -- more than 2,000 people have been accused of committing blasphemy since 1987, and at least 88 people killed by lynch mobs for similar allegations.</p>.<p>Rights groups say accusations of blasphemy are often wielded in Pakistan to settle personal vendettas, with minorities largely the targets.</p>
<p>A man was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of blasphemy at a rally for former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's party, officials said Sunday.</p>.<p>Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence.</p>.<p>Video of the lynching has been shared widely on social media, with police seen vainly trying to stop a frenzied mob from beating the alleged blasphemer.</p>.<p>The incident took place on Saturday in the Sawal Dher area of Mardan city in the country's ultra-conservative northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/khalistani-terrorist-paramjit-singh-panjwar-shot-dead-in-lahore-1216392.html" target="_blank">Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar shot dead in Lahore</a></strong></p>.<p>Police said a man identified as Nigar Alam was asked to deliver the concluding prayer at a rally organised by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party when the crowd took offence to his comments.</p>.<p>He managed to flee the scene, police said, but a mob tracked him down to a relative's house.</p>.<p>"A group of individuals climbed over the wall, barged inside, and beat him to death with sticks and batons," said district police chief Najeeb-ur-Rehman</p>.<p>"The mob was so agitated that it became extremely challenging for the police to even recover the body," he told <em>AFP.</em></p>.<p>Another local police official, Umair Khan, confirmed the incident.</p>.<p>PTI leader Khan was not present at the rally and party officials had no immediate comment on the incident.</p>.<p>Few issues in Pakistan are as galvanising as blasphemy, and even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests and incite lynchings.</p>.<p>According to the Centre for Social Justice -- an independent group advocating for the rights of minorities -- more than 2,000 people have been accused of committing blasphemy since 1987, and at least 88 people killed by lynch mobs for similar allegations.</p>.<p>Rights groups say accusations of blasphemy are often wielded in Pakistan to settle personal vendettas, with minorities largely the targets.</p>