An angry mob killed one man and injured eight others in subsequent violence in Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northwestern Pakistan for allegedly insulting the Holy Quran, police said.

Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Zahidullah said a man hailing from Punjab’s Sialkot district allegedly burnt some pages of the Holy Quran in Madyan tehsil of Swat on Thursday night.

The suspect was taken into custody and brought to the Madyan police station. A crowd gathered outside the police station and demanded that he be handed over. When the police refused to do so, the crowd opened fire and the police retaliated. The DPO said one person was seriously injured in the firing and was admitted to the Madyan hospital.

The mob then set the police station on fire. Zahidullah said that later some people entered the police station, shot the suspect, took his body to Madyan Adda and hanged him there.

Eight people were injured in the violence that broke out after the incident. He said that heavy police force has been deployed in Madyan and efforts are being made to bring the situation under control.

Chief Minister KPK Ali Amin Gandapur has taken notice of the desecration incident and sought a report from the provincial police chief.

The Chief Minister directed the Inspector General of Police to take emergency measures to control the situation and urged the people to remain calm and peaceful.