Police station set on fire in Charsadda over alleged desecration of Quran
Violent protests have erupted in the Tangi area of Charsadda District in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province following an alleged desecration of the Koran.
Angry protesters stormed a local police station, severely damaging it and setting it on fire, according to eyewitnesses.
According to Inspector Jahangir Khan Police Station SHO Bahrmand Shah, word was circulating in the area that someone had insulted the Qur'an. While registering an FIR, the police arrested the man and started investigation.
He said that when the people got the news of the arrest, they started reaching the police station and demanded that the said person be handed over to them.
According to an eyewitness, rumors of alleged blasphemy of the Qur'an had been circulating in the area since Sunday morning and then in the evening rumors spread in the area that the person who had blasphemed the Qur'an had been taken to the police station.
According to an eyewitness, a large number of people gathered outside the police station and demanded that the accused be handed over to them.
"At first the sloganeering continued with this demand and then suddenly the mob got enraged and set fire to the police station building and later the same people also damaged the nearby outpost."
According to another eyewitness, the policemen present at the police station kept trying to fight for a long time but help was not forthcoming due to road blockade while the number of angry people was increasing.
It was reported that the policemen left the police station as angry people were also attacking the policemen.
How did it happen
Different things are being heard regarding the incident of alleged desecration of Qur'an at Charsadda. According to one report the incident took place on Saturday evening and according to another report the incident took place on Sunday morning.
There was outrage among the people after this incident. People continued to gather information from social media and other sources, which led to the arrest of the accused.
Angry people were demanding that the man be handed over to them. Police fired tear gas shells at the police station.
However, the police did not move in front of a large number of people and eventually the police had to leave the police station with the accused. However, the police have ensured the safety of the accused.
All the equipment in the police station has been burnt. Vehicles have been reduced to ashes. The entire record has been burnt while the protesters are gathering on Swat-Peshawar Road, due to which the road is blocked while the police force is standing away from the protesters.