Policeman kills blasphemy suspect held in police station in Quetta

QUETTA: A cop opened fire inside a police station killing a man being held under custody at Kharotabad police station on suspicion of blasphemy charges in Quetta, local officials said on Thursday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Quetta Muhammad Baloch told Reuters that the police officer named Syed Khan accused of killing Abdul Ali at the police station had been arrested.

The officer, who he did not name, had accessed a police station where a man accused of blasphemy was being held by pretending he was his relative before opening fire on him.

The man accused of blasphemy had been taken into custody earlier in the week and moved to a more heavily fortified station due to a huge mob that gathered and demanded the man be handed over to them.

Police registered an FIR under Sections 295C and 34 of the penal code against the blasphemy suspect and arrested him soon after receiving information about the incident, the police said.

According to the complaint, a resident of Kharotabad used objectionable words against the Holy Prophet (PBUH). His alleged phone conversation was viral on social media, triggering sharp criticism and protests.