Blasphemy Suspect Killed by Police Officer in Custody Amid Protests in Pakistan

A police officer in Quetta, Pakistan, fatally shot a man accused of blasphemy while in custody. The officer, posing as a concerned relative, infiltrated the jail and killed the suspect. The incident has sparked protests and highlighted tensions over how blasphemy cases are handled in the country.

A police officer in Quetta, Pakistan, fatally shot a man accused of blasphemy while he was in custody, authorities confirmed.

The man was being held at a police station when the officer, who posed as a concerned relative, shot him dead, said Quetta's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Baloch. The officer has since been arrested.

The suspect, who was detained after an altercation with clerics at his shop, became the focus of protests led by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and other religious groups. Demonstrators blocked roads and hurled a grenade at a police station. The controversy intensified following a viral phone conversation allegedly containing blasphemous remarks.

(With inputs from agencies.)