Alleged desecration of Qur'an in Charsadda: Protest ends after talks with administration, but tensions remain
Local authorities on Monday morning held talks with protesters in the Tangi area of Charsadda district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following violent protests over alleged desecration of the Koran.
According to correspondent Azizullah Khan, although the administration says the protest has been called off, tensions remain in the area.
It is to be noted that last night angry protesters stormed the local police station and severely damaged the police station and according to eyewitnesses the police station was set on fire.
According to Bahromand Shah, SHO of the area, it was rumored that a person had insulted the Qur'an, on which the police registered an FIR, arrested the person and started investigation.
However, according to him, when people were informed of the arrest, they started gathering near 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 Commissioner Peshawar Division Riaz Khan Mehsud on Monday, the local administration had been trying to control the situation since Sunday after the protests. He said that after the talks this morning, the protesters have announced to end the protest and a meeting of religious leaders has also been held in the area but at the local level the protesters are still present in groups.
Heavy contingents of police are still deployed at the entrances and exits of Charsadda while shops and business centers are closed in Tangi Bazaar. Educational institutions in the area are also closed due to security concerns. According to police, police personnel have been called from Peshawar and Mardan to control the situation.
Local journalist Wajid Khan Afridi said that despite the talks, the situation in the area was tense and protesters were still present at Khatam Naboot Chowk. He said that police personnel could not be seen from afar where the protesters were present. Besides, police were not present at Tangi police station and check posts. People are also present in Tangi police station where the fire was started yesterday.
Police personnel called in from other areas have arrived and district police officers are also present on the spot at the entrances and exits of the city, police officials said. Locals said that Mandni Chowk and Khatam Naboot Chowk were closed for all kinds of traffic. The protesters demanded that the arrested accused be handed over to them.
How did the incident happen?
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.
According to Ali Akbar Mehmand, a local journalist from Charsadda, various rumors are circulating regarding the alleged desecration of the Qur'an. According to one report the incident took place on Saturday evening and according to another report the incident took place on Sunday morning.
According to Ali Akbar Mehmand, the incident provoked the people. People continued to gather information from social media and other sources, which led to the arrest of the accused.
According to Ali Akbar Mehmand, angry people were demanding 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.
According to Ali Akbar Mehmand, all the equipment in the police station was 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.