An enraged mob vandalises multiple churches in Jaranwala sub-district of Faisalabad over blasphemy allegations

FAISALABAD/ISLAMABAD, August 16 (SABAH): An enraged mob vandalised multiple churches in the Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad on Wednesday over blasphemy allegations, officials said.

A Christian leader, Akmal Bhatti, said the crowd had torched at least five churches and looted valuables from houses that had been abandoned by their owners after clerics made announcements in mosques inciting the mob.

Images on social media showed smoke rising from the church buildings and people setting fire to furniture that had been dragged from them.

Jaranwala pastor Imran Bhatti told a private TV channel that the ransacked churches included the Salvation Army Church, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church and Shehroonwala Church situated in the Isa Nagri area. He added the mob demolished the house of a Christian cleaner, accused of blasphemy.

A first information report has also been registered against the accused under sections 295B (defiling, etc., of the Holy Quran) and 295C (use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Speaking to a private TV channel, Punjab police chief Dr. Usman Anwar said the police were negotiating with the protesters and the area had been cordoned off.

“There are narrow lanes [in the area] in which small two to three marla churches are located and there is one main church … they have vandalised portions of the churches,” he said.

The official stated that efforts were underway to contain the situation by engaging with peace committees and police across the province had been activated.

“The assistant commissioner of the area, a member of the Christian community, has also been evacuated after people turned against him,” Anwar added.

Separately, Punjab Home Department Spokesperson Amjad Kalyar confirmed that a request seeking the deployment of Rangers in the area had been sent to the department, but a decision was yet to be taken on it.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, President Bishop of the Church of Pakistan Azad Marshall said that Bibles had been desecrated and Christians were tortured and harassed “having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran”. “We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom,” he demanded. Bishop Marshall added that all priests, bishops and lay people were “deeply pained and distressed” at the incident.

Meanwhile Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said that he was gutted by the visuals coming out of Jaranwala, Faisalabad. In a statement issue don twitter on Wednesday, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said that stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities. All law enforcement has been asked to apprehend culprits and bring them to justice. Rest assured that the government of Pakistan stands with our citizenry on equal basis, he said.

PML-N Punjab President and former interior minister Rana Sanaullah Khan strongly condemned the “dastardly attack” and stressed that the culprits should be brought to justice at the earliest. “Extremism and hatred nullify the fundamental principles of Islam,” he tweeted.

“Strongly condemn the dastardly attack on the church in Jaranwala today. The culprits must be brought to justice at the earliest, and the law should take its due course. Extremism and hatred nullify the fundamental principles of Islam” Rana Sanaullah Khan tweeted.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he was horrified to hear about today’s attack, asserting that violating the sanctity of worship places was “absolutely unacceptable”. “The administration must ensure the safety of the Christian community and their churches,” he highlighted.

Senator from Balochistan Mir Sarfaraz Khan Bugti also called on the Punjab government to enforce its full might to protect churches and Christian hope.

“We, as a Pakistani, can’t allow the madness happening in Jaranwala,” he said on X. “We have a responsibility toward the minorities in our country, and we couldn’t let the crisis worsen any further!” Bugti added.