JARANWALA: In Jaranwala, the police have apprehended Pastor Amjad Alam in connection with the alleged incident of Holy Quran desecration that led to violent unrest in the city. Alam claims he has nothing to do with the incident as he was in Peshawar on that day.
Following rumors that the police were not taking action against two individuals implicated in the FIR for desecrating the Holy Quran, a mob unleashed chaos. In response, 19 churches and 86 homes belonging to the Christian community were set ablaze during the turmoil.
Both individuals were apprehended on August 17 after fleeing Jaranwala. Punjab’s interim Chief Minister made the announcement on X. Subsequently, the police confirmed that the two were siblings.
Subsequently, Pastor Amjad Alam was taken into custody by the police today. He recorded a video shortly before his arrest, stating, “The CIA personnel are here to arrest me, and I am being arrested.” Alam’s wife also said that her husband was apprehended solely due to his association with the original suspects.
Alam asserted that he was in Peshawar on August 16 and not present in Jaranwala during the incident. He explained, “I have no involvement in this matter. I had traveled to Islamabad to scout locations for my restaurant, and on August 16, I departed from Islamabad for Peshawar. When I received a call around 6 p.m. on August 16, I was in Peshawar.”
More Cases Registered
In the meantime, a further 17 cases have been filed by the authorities against individuals implicated in the riots. The total number of registered cases is 21 now.
A total of 750 people have been named in the cases registered after the violence. The police were raiding different locations to arrest rioters.
As of now, around 200 individuals have been taken into custody.
