Two men suspected of being part of the mob that burnt Pakistani Christians Shazad and his wife Shama alive in a brick kiln have been denied bail.

According to reports, on Friday the Supreme Court in Lahore dismissed Nisar and Akram’s bail petitions.

Their lawyers had argued that both men had passed the scene and shouted slogans, but had not been part of the killing.

They also submitted that two other suspects, who also claimed to have been passers-by, had also been granted bail.

But Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, who was heading the two-member bench, and Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the Supreme Court had stopped granting bail to other suspects on the basis that co-defendants had been given bail.

The court ruled that as Pakistani citizens, Nisar and Akram should have tried to protect Shazad and Shama, rather that inciting violence against them.