Christian couple beaten, burnt to death by Muslim mob in Pakistan

A Christian couple, simply identified as Shama and Shezad, has been beaten to death in Pakistan for desecrating a Qur'an. Police said the Muslim mob, which attacked them at the brick kiln where they worked, also burnt their bodies.

A mob action...Photograph: Muhammed Muheisen/AP

Local police station official, Bin-Yameen, in the town of Kot Radha Kishan where the incident took place, told AFP that: “A mob attacked a Christian couple after accusing them of desecration of the holy Qur'an and later burnt their bodies at a brick kiln where they worked”.

He added: “Yesterday an incident of desecration of the holy Qur'an took place in the area and today the mob first beat the couple and later set their bodies on fire at a brick kiln".

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has set up a committee to fast track investigations into the killings and ordered police to beef up security at Christian neighbourhoods in the province.

Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in the Muslim-dominated country and unproven allegations have often prompted mob action.