JARANWALA: August 17, 2023: In a bid to cool down violent protestors, the district administration has imposed section 144 for a week, besides closing all educational institutions and government offices indefinitely.
Meanwhile, the local police have arrested 128 protestors who were found involved in attacking the houses of Christians and churches in the city .
Inspector general police Punjab (IGP) , Dr Usman Anwar, has directed to the local police and other law enforcing agencies to use all resources to maintain the law and order in the city. IGP Dr Usman Anwar also confirmed arrest of 128 protestors who were involved in violent attacks on Christians besides torching half a dozen churches in the city.
On Wednesday, a mob had attacked multiple churches and properties of Christians in Eisa colony in Jaranwala , a tehsil headquarter of Faisalabad district some 112 km in north west of Lahore over alleged desecration of holy Quran.
The allegations of desecration of holy Quran sparked anger among the locals who gathered outside Eisa Colony in Jaranwala in early hours on Wednesday when the news of discretion of holy Quran spread in the area.
Eisa colony hosts majority of Christians in Jaranwala , a small city of Punjab. It has three churches and around 150 houses of Christians . According to the first information report registered with City police station Jaranwala Amir, a Christian resident of Eisa colony allegedly wrote blasphemous words on some pamphlets and tore some pages of holy Quran in Eisa colony on Tuesday night.
The news of discretion of holy Quran spread in the city on the wee hours on Wednesday. On hearing the sad news, the people started to gather outside Eisa colony between 8 to 9 AM. The mob started protest in front of a local church . Later, the crowed became unruly and it started to attack on at least three churches situated in the area, besides torching houses of the Christians in Eisa colony.
The police said it immediately reacted to violent protests and tried to stop them from torching churches and houses of Christians. Till filing of these reports , the violent crowed also damaged two other churches in Nasir colony another area in Jaranwala where Christians live in large number. The charged crowed also torched many houses of Christians in Nasir colony besides damaging two churches in the area.
Father Qadir Mukthtar , religjous leader of Christians in Jaranwala told the local media that the crowed attacked Christians house in Eisa colony and Nasir colony and torched many houses in these two areas. He said Christians have fled from their homes to save their lives. Qadir Mukhtar claimed that he himself had taken refuge in his house in Eisa colony with his family for hours and later managed to flee from home when the violent crowed rushed to Nasir Christian colony to attack houses of Christians there, besides torching two churches in the area. He claimed that the police did not respond to save his and his family’s life when the crowed was torching Christians houses in Eisa colony.
The local police released a message to the protestors that an FIR has been registered against two individuals at City police station for allegedly doing abhorring act of discretion of holy Quran and the accused will be the dealt according to the law. The police appealed to the protestors not to take law in their hands and refrain from attacking Christians’ properties and churches over the incident. The police also confirmed that situation in Jaranwala was tense and the local administration has called out the Rangers to control situation in affected areas.