JARANWALA : August 18,2023: A group of human rights activists has compiled a fact-finding report on Jaranwala incident.
The group had visited affected areas of Jaranwala city on Friday.
The report disclosed that the local police had failed to respond to the situation on August 16 following violent protests over alleged desecration of holy Quran.
It said “A series of sad incidents unfolded on the 16th of August 2023 in the morning there were some people found to be circulating a statement supposedly written by the “Raja Amir Masih” a Christian sanitary worker along with his photograph with his s father affixed on the paper”.
The report noted that It is uncertain how many posters or pieces of writings were circulated. Following that, inciting announcements were made from a mosque situated near the Christian Colony also called “Cinema Basti” of Jaranwala, in district Faisalabad and then a frenzied mob started gathering and agitating. In the meantime, about 400 families fled from Issa Nagri around 10 a.m.
It claimed that the police had came to know about the incident at 7 a.m. when an FIR under sections 295 B and 295 C was registered involving Raja Masih and his brother Rocky Masih sons of Salim Masih while in the poster only Raja Masih’s name was there. Soon after, five Churches and dozens of houses were vandalized, and set alight. Hundreds of Christians have fled their homes from the Christian colony, Issa Nagari, and Shehroonwala.
The Christian population in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad district is living in fear and worried about their safety. The Assistant Commissioner Shuakat Masih, a Christian was removed from his post. So far, total 19 churches and over 50 houses have been burnt or vandalized in the area and the families been evacuated and demanding for the justice, rehabilitation and reconstruction and most importantly the security and protection of life.
According to the report , the incidents show a pattern and a replication of what happened in Shanti Nagar in 1997, Sangla Hill in 2005, Gojra and Korian in 2009 and many other incidents, where frenzied mobs are collected through provocative announcement on the pretext of blasphemy.
It noted that the police and administration fail to stop the mob and properties and places of worship belonging to minorities are destroyed. The accused are subjected to prolonged trials and displacement.
There is an urgent and important for the Punjab government to act in manners to address lawlessness and the nation should ponder over the cost of blasphemy laws which act as instigators of hate crimes and false allegations.
