PESHAWAR, April 20: A mob killed a blasphemy accused in Nowshera district on Wednesday after a local cleric had declared him an infidel, police said. According to sources, Ashiq Nabi of the Spin Khak village had allegedly desecrated the Holy Quran following a quarrel with his wife on Monday.

The sources said that it was a usual family dispute during which Ashiq’s wife had brought the Holy Book to swear by.

The Pabbi police filed a blasphemy case on Monday on a complaint of Ashiq’s uncle, Janab Shah. Ashiq’s wife recorded her statement as a witness in the case. The police had been looking for Ashiq, but before they could reach him, a mob of around 400 people had shot him.

The sources quoted witnesses as saying that Ashiq had begged for his life and while trying to escape he managed to climb a tree. But the mob chased him and someone shot him. Ashiq’s family refused to accept his body saying he was an infidel. The police handed it over to the Pabbi town council which sent it to mortuary.

The police had been searching for Ashiq for two days, but he fled to the mountainous area between Cherat and Shamshatu villages, Nowshera SP Mazharul Haq told this reporter.

The local cleric had issued an edict declaring Ashiq an infidel and announced death as punishment, the SP said. “We don’t know who was that maulvi. We are collecting information about him and we intend to arrest him,” he said.