SIALKOT, July 26 The body of Muhammad Arshad (35), the British national of Pakistani origin, who was tortured to death by some British youth in Birmingham-UK on July 21, was on Sunday buried in a Pasrur graveyard.

The funeral was attended by a large number of people belonging to all walks of life.

Arshad's widow Shahida and his three sons Hamza (7), Fazal (5) and Fahad (3), accompanied his body brought from Birmingham to his native town. However, they were too grief-stricken to comment on the tragic incident.

Some officials of British High Commission also accompanied the body but journalists were barred from questioning them.

The overall atmosphere in Pasrur city remained somber. The local religious and trade bodies announced three-day mourning in the city.

Arshad's family says he was tortured to death by some drunkard youths after he admonished them for uttering blasphemous remarks about Islam and the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Arshad's father Haji Muhammad Ashraf, a retired non-commissioned army man said “I am proud of my son, who sacrificed his life for the glory of Islam, as he was a true Muslim.”

A resident of Muhallah Jinnah Gate, Pasrur, Muhammad Arshad, had migrated to UK about ten years ago. He had two brothers and three sisters. After doing some odd jobs initially, he started his small-scale business of computer accessories in Birmingham. He married a Muslim girl, Shahida Bibi, also a British national of Pakistani origin.

According to Muhammad Ashraf, his son was brutally beaten with iron rods and hockey sticks, resulting in severe damage to his backbone which caused his death. The autopsy report got conducted by British police confirmed the torture.