Pakistani authorities initiated a rigorous investigation to identify and arrest members of a mob that killed a tourist accused of blasphemy in the Swat district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local media on Friday.

Regional Police Chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur confirmed that a case has been registered against the organizers of the mob and that authorities are actively working to identify and arrest the individuals involved. Gandapur emphasized that the situation is now under control and that life in the town of Madyan has returned to normal, with markets and bazaars open.

The tragic incident unfolded on Thursday night when the mob stormed a police station, forcibly took the accused into their custody and lynched him.

The deceased individual was identified as Mohammad Ismail, a resident of the Punjab province who was visiting Swat Valley. Reports indicated that Ismail was taken into police custody after allegations surfaced that he had desecrated the Quran by burning its pages.

District Police Officer (DPO) Zahidullah Khan reported that while Ismail was being questioned, announcements from local mosques on loudspeakers called upon the public to gather at the police station. This call to action resulted in thousands of people assembling outside the station, demanding that the suspect be handed over to them. When the police refused, violence erupted, injuring at least eight people and leading to the mob setting fire to the police station and police vehicles.

The situation escalated rapidly as the mob overpowered the police, snatched Ismail, beat him to death and subsequently burned his body. Actual recordings of the incident, showing the mob dragging the man’s body through the streets and setting it on fire, circulated widely on social media, eliciting widespread outrage.

Originating from 19th-century British laws, the blasphemy laws in Pakistan, which can carry the death penalty, have often led to vigilante justice with perpetrators rarely facing consequences. The incident on Thursday is the latest in a series of such violent episodes. In 2021, a Sri Lankan factory manager was lynched over similar allegations, leading to international condemnation. Similarly in May, a Christian man in Punjab province was attacked and later died after being accused of desecrating the Quran.