Police say a mob in southern Pakistan has beaten to death a Muslim man accused of burning a copy of Islam's holy book, and then set his body afire.

The country's harsh blasphemy laws allow anyone found guilty of insulting Islam to be sentenced to death, but people also sometimes take such matters into their own hands.

Local police official Bihar-ud-Din said Saturday the mob of about 200 people stormed the police station in the southern town of Dadu on Friday and took the accused man, who they say was not mentally stable and was under questioning.

Din said that police have arrested 30 people for their involvement in the attack, while the head of the local police station and seven officers had been suspended.