Over 100 arrested, troops deployed to guard Christians settlements in Jaranwala

LAHORE:  Paramilitary Rangers have cordoned off a Christian settlement in Jaranwala where a mob vandalised and torched several churches and scores of houses after accusing two of its residents of desecrating the holy Quran.

The attack took place in Jaranwala in the industrial district of Faisalabad on Wednesday, and continued for more than 10 hours without any intervention by police who were at the scene, residents and community leaders said. Police denied the accusation, saying security forces had prevented an even worse situation.

The rioters were demanding that the two accused, who had fled their homes, be handed over to them.

The residents said thousands of people led by local clerics were carrying iron rods, sticks, knives and daggers during the rioting.

A provincial government statement said paramilitary troops were deployed to aid the police to control the situation.

The troops have cordoned off the Christian colony, blocking all entry and exit points with barbed wire, according to a Reuters TV cameraman.

Meanwhile, Punjab’s interim Chief Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, affirmed on Thursday his commitment to expeditiously restore all the burned down churches and residences of Christians that fell victim to the rampage and conflagration witnessed in Jaranwala.

Jaranwala incident: churches, graveyard vandalised after blasphemy allegations

Further acts of desecration encompassed a Christian burial ground and the premises of the local assistant commissioner. The gravity of the episode prompted the Punjab administration to summon the assistance of the Rangers, in addition to the strategic deployment of a contingent of 3,000 police personnel hailing from diverse units, including the esteemed elite force.

Meanwhile, over 100 people suspected of being involved in the rioting have been arrested, the provincial government statement said, adding that an inquiry has also been ordered into the incident.

The United States was “deeply concerned that churches and homes were targeted,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Wednesday.

According to law enforcement authorities and sources within the vicinity, the outbreak of violence ensued subsequent to allegations raised by certain local residents regarding the discovery of several defiled pages of the Holy Quran near a residence inhabited by two Christian siblings at Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala.

In response to the prevailing circumstances, the district administration has enforced Section 144 for a span of seven days, thereby proscribing any form of gathering, with the exception of official functions orchestrated by the government.

Meanwhile, the government of Punjab has mandated the establishment of an elevated inquiry panel tasked with delving into the incident, consistent with the directives issued by the Caretaker Prime Minister, Anwarul Haq.

FIRs registered

According to Dawn, first information reports (FIRs) have been lodged by a sub-inspector of the Jaranwala City police station, with the recorded time of submission being 10:00am on Wednesday, August 16.

One of the formal allegations outlines that an assemblage of approximately 500 to 600 individuals, under the guidance of a specific group of individuals, “assaulted the Christian community, intruded into private residences, pillaged properties, and deliberately ignited conflagrations within Christian homes as well as the edifice of a church.”

The report specifies the identification of eight principal instigators within the mob, wherein one maintains an affiliation with the Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnat and another with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The FIR invokes several sections including 7-1(d), 7-1(g), 7-1(h), and 7-1(i) within the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, all pertaining to the legal sanction for “punishment of acts of terrorism.”

Additionally, it references sections such as 148 (pertaining to rioting while armed with deadly weapons), 149 (deeming every member of an unlawful assembly culpable for offenses committed in pursuit of a common objective), 153A (addressing the promotion of animosity between distinct groups), 186 (relating to the obstruction of public servants in their official duties), 324 (pertaining to attempted murder), 353 (regarding the use of assault or criminal force to deter public officials from the execution of their duties), 427 (involving the commission of mischief resulting in damage amounting to fifty rupees), 436 (concerning the deliberate destruction by fire or explosive substances with the intent to obliterate structures), and 452 (in relation to illegal entry into a dwelling with preparations for causing harm, assault, or unlawful restraint) within the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).