Days after an out-of-town tourist was lynched by a mob for an alleged sacrilegious act in Swat, a joint investigation team has been formed to probe the matter.
The JIT was formed as the police said tense calm had descended on the valley, with the markets and hotels having reopened and operating normally.
JIT formed
An undated notification issued by the office of the Swat district head of investigation, which surfaced after the incident, said that a nine-member joint investigation team is being formed to probe the incidents that took place in Madyan, Swat, on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
The notice called the case "high profile" and said it needed to be given "proper attention."
The JIT will comprise Upper Swat Investigation DSP Muhammad Haleem Khan, Madyan Circle SDPO Said Zaman Shah, the designated investigation officer in the case Inspector Muhammad Karam from the Madyan police station, Madyan Police Station's Sub Inspector Islamul Haq, Kanju Police Station's Sub Inspector Shah Jehan Khan, Swat IT Investigation Incharge ASI Gohar Khan, a Malakand-I Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) representative, a representative of the police's Special Branch and a representative of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) - the sole representative of a federal law enforcement or security agency.
The JIT members have been directed to investigate the case from every angle/aspect of the case.
The JIT has been formed in pursuance of an FIR lodged for the incident.
Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan confirmed to The Friday Times that the First Information Report (FIR) for the incident was registered on Thursday and that it included sections 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assaulting a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 427 (damage to property), 436 (arson), 186 (obstructing a public servant), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), along with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
He added that they are still investigating the matter and have nominated as many as 2,000 individuals but have yet to make any arrests.
Situation in Madyan
Dr Zahidullah said that the situation in Madyan was returning to normal after Thursday's incidents, with the markets and hotels reopening.
The Swat DPO stated that the main road, which connects Madyan to Kalam, has been restored for all types of traffic.
With regards to the attack, Dr Zahidullah said the attack on the police station had caused injuries to 11 people, including five police officers. Fortunately, he said that all the injured were provided with timely medical aid and were recovering.
Victim was hunted down?
In a video that has since gone viral on social media, a man claiming to be an 'eyewitness' recounts the incident.
He claimed that after spotting him, some people rushed through the crowded Madyan bazaar and apprehended the victim. He claimed that the victim had allegedly committed blasphemy in Mingora around 25 days prior but had managed to escape then.
Having been tracked to the Madyan bazaar, the victim was roughed up by the assailants. When the victim attempted to flee, the eyewitness and his friend chased him down on a motorcycle, recaptured him, and handed him over to the police, but not before beating him further.
Later, when public announcements were made, a crowd gathered outside the Madyan police station and demanded that the accused be handed over to them.
When the police refused, the agitated crowd attacked the station, leading to an exchange of fire between the police and locals, resulting in several injuries.
Conspiracy
Dr Shah Khan, a former member of the district apparatus in Bahrain, Swat, expressed to The Friday Times that Thursday's incident was a conspiracy to tarnish Swat's strong reputation for tourism.
"They intend to harm Swat's image, but we demand a transparent investigation into this case, and all those involved must be held accountable," he said.
Dr Shah emphasised that the people of Swat are peaceful and would never orchestrate such a situation.
"After the floods and other disasters in Swat, tourism was flourishing, but suddenly, these incidents started occurring," he stated, adding, "We assure visitors that they can come to Swat without fear, as the people here are hospitable and welcoming. We extend a warm welcome to all."
He drew parallels with a similar incident that occurred during the time the valley fell to the Taliban. He said that the Taliban allegedly whipped a woman, and a video of the incident went viral without any investigation. "Later, it was discovered that the video was fabricated and had no basis in truth," he recalled.
Asked what he remembered about the incident on Thursday, Dr Shah said, "We were at home when we heard that someone had committed blasphemy. We were saddened and attempted to ensure the accused received a transparent investigation into the incident. However, some tourists and local individuals got agitated and attacked the police station, killing the accused."
He urged the government to conduct a thorough investigation and punish those responsible.
Due process
While speaking to locals on the reasons that led to the incident, Swat-based religious scholar Maulvi Idress posited that in Islam, it is forbidden to speak against someone without first investigating their actions. However, he continued that per Islamic teachings and Pakistani law, those who blaspheme against the Holy Quran, the Prophet (PBUH), his companions or other prophets can be punished and that a judge has the authority to sentence them. He continued that these punishments should be carried out by the government, not by individuals themselves.
However, he lamented that the law, the justice system, and its enforcement in Pakistan were quite weak. He said culprits are not punished promptly, which is perhaps why people take matters into their own hands.
Maulvi Idress warned that if people do not react in the way they did on Thursday, the number of such incidents would increase exponentially and that cases of blasphemy would become a daily occurrence. He said that Islamic history is replete with such incidents and that Muslim rulers would decide the matter and punish people according to Islamic teachings after due investigation.
He lamented that the situation in Pakistan was quite poor and claimed that hundreds of cases of blasphemy and desecration of the Prophet's (PBUH) honour were still pending before the relevant authorities and that no one had been punished so far. He did not cite his sources of such information, nor could it be corroborated.