A mob of Pakistani Muslims stoned to death a man accused...

A mob of Pakistani Muslims stoned to death a man accused of blasphemy in the central province of Punjab, police and witnesses said.
The victim known as Zahid, 48, had previously been charged under Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law but was acquitted eight months ago by a court which found him mentally ill.
The people of Zahid's village of Barnala then accused him of writing his own name in copies of the Koran in place of the name of Prophet Mohammad.
A village committee met to decide his fate and some members wanted him handed over to the police. But Zahid was dragged out of his house and executed at noon in front of a crowd of between 250 to 300, residents said.
Police said they had received complaints against a number of suspects.
They said Zahid was first charged with blasphemy and desecration of the Koran three years ago. But a court released him on the basis of a medical report that said he was deranged.
The killing came less than a month after Yousaf Ali, a former army major, was shot dead by a fellow prisoner after he appealed a death sentence for blasphemy. Ali was convicted of blasphemy by a lower court for claiming to be a prophet.
Muslims believe Mohammad was the last prophet of God and the blasphemy law imposes the death penalty for anyone who claims to be a prophet.
Human rights groups say the law is often misused against non-Muslim minorities or to settle personal scores.