Human rights groups have condemned the murder of two Christians in Pakistan by a mob that accused them of blasphemy. The incident took place yesterday in Kot Radha Kishan, a small town about 40 miles from Lahore. The couple, identified only as Shehzad, aged 32, and Shama, 24, had three children aged between 18 months and seven years old. According to reports, Shama was pregnant with their fourth child. The incident occurred after an alleged desecration of the Koran on Sunday. After the local kiln owner and imams had been informed of the alleged blasphemy, a mob tortured the couple and then murdered them. Some reports claim they were thrown into a furnace either before or after their deaths. Christians in nearby towns and villages have fled their homes as a result of the incident, one of several such mob attacks in recent years. Nasir Saeed, director of the human rights organisation CLAAS-UK, said it was "atrocious that people can take matters into their own hands and kill someone on a mere allegation". He said: "Mob justice is becoming prevalant, despite it being the job of the police and courts to prosecute, convict and punish someone if found guilty. "The blasphemy law continues to be misused against minorities and Christians are the main target. It is the government’s duty to take notice of the growing popularity of such incidents and pass the necessary legislation."