Fact Check: Man killed for blasphemy in Pakistan was Muslim, not Christian
The man who was killed by a mob on charges of blasphemy in Nankana, Pakistan, was identified as Mohammad Waris and was a Muslim. The claim being shared on social media that a Christian man was lynched by a frenzied mob on charges of blasphemy is false.
- By: Abhishek Parashar
- Published: Feb 17, 2023 at 05:47 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News): A video in which a frenzied mob can be seen attempting to set a man on fire after lynching him for alleged blasphemy in Pakistan’s Nankana district has gone viral on social media. It is being claimed that the man killed by the mob belonged to the Christian community and it was a targeted attack on a member of a religious minority in Pakistan.
However, Vishvas News investigation found this claim to be false. The person who was killed on charges of blasphemy in Pakistan was not a Christian but a Muslim and his name was Mohammad Waris (45).
Claim:
Sharing the viral video (archive link), social media user ‘Taja Akhbar’ wrote:
“Waris Issa, A Christian arrested on blasphemy charges in Nankana Sahib of Pakistan. Islamic mob attacked a Police station, dragged him out on streets & set him on the FIRE with slogan of Allah-o-Akbar. Pak is HELL for MINORITIES
@UNHumanRights #UNHumanRights #humanrights #UNHumanRightsCouncil #muslimcommunity #Muslims #christian #Pakistan
(“The Christian heir Jesus was arrested on charges of blasphemy in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan. An Islamic mob attacked the police station, dragged him out, and then burned him alive, chanting Allah-hu-Akbar. Hell for.”)
Several other users on different social media platforms have shared the same video with similar and identical claims. Many verified users have also shared this video on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/MajorPoonia/status/1625032366615040000
Investigation:
In a news search, we found many such reports on the incident. Media of other countries, including Pakistani, have also covered this incident prominently. On February 11, a middle-aged man was killed by a frenzied and violent mob outside a police station in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, on charges of blasphemy, according to a February 12 report on the website of Dawn.com, a leading Pakistani news website.
According to the report, the name of the person who died was Mohammad Waris and he was 45 years old. He was detained by the police for allegedly insulting a Muslim religious text. Although the local people were planning to hang the man in Qazi Town area of Nankana, the police reached the spot and brought the accused to the police station. Later, a mob gathered outside the police station, dragged the accused out and thrashed him to death.
In India too, this incident was covered prominently. According to a report by The Indian Express, Mohammad Waris was accused of alleged desecration of the Quran and because of this, he was taken into police custody.
It is clear from our investigation that the name of the person who was killed on charges of blasphemy in Nankana, Pakistan, was not Waris Isa, but Mohammad Waris.
The video of this massacre is also being shared in the viral post. In social media search, this video was found posted on the profile of many users, which they have shared in the name of the Nankana Sahib incident. The video shared by UK-based Pakistani-origin Khalid Umar from his verified profile matches the viral video.
We reached out to Pakistan-based journalist and fact-checker Lubna Zarar Naqvi for additional confirmation. She confirmed, “Muslims too fall victim to blasphemy incidents in Pakistan and the deceased in this case was also a Muslim, whose name was Waris Ali.”
The Facebook page, where the viral video was posted with a false claim, usually shares news and related content.
Conclusion: The man who was killed by a mob on charges of blasphemy in Nankana, Pakistan, was identified as Mohammad Waris and was a Muslim. The claim being shared on social media that a Christian man was lynched by a frenzied mob on charges of blasphemy is false.
- Claim Review : Man killed for blasphemy in Pakistan was Christian
- Claimed By : Fb page: Taza Akhbar
- Fact Check : False
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