LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), condemned the Jaranwala incident on Thursday, where churches and numerous homes were ransacked. He addressed a press conference alongside Lahore Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, stating, “We have come to offer our apologies to the Christian community leadership for the events that transpired in Jaranwala.”
Mr. Ashrafi emphasized that the Christian community, despite being a minority, enjoys equal rights in Pakistan, even though Muslims make up the majority. He emphasized the teachings of Islam, which stress the importance of respecting all prophets, and insisted that those responsible for the incident should be held accountable and brought to justice.
Concurrently, the Lahore archbishop commented, “Those who orchestrated the Jaranwala incident, seek to sow unrest within the country. This incident was meticulously planned to create such chaos.”
Earlier today, the United States expressed its concern regarding the incidents of church burning in Jaranwala. During the press briefing on August 16, Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson of the US State Department, conveyed the United States’ apprehension over the occurrence.
Over 600 were Booked In Two Terror Cases For Targeting The Christian Community In Jaranwala
The Punjab government established a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the incident. The Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq directed an immediate investigation of the incident. The Punjab police have arrested over 100 individuals, and Rangers are also assisting in the operation.
Two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed by a sub-inspector of the Jaranwala City police station, detailing the events. One FIR described how a mob of 500-600 people, led by a group of individuals, attacked the Christian community, looted homes, and set fire to both homes and a church building. Eight individuals were identified as leaders of the mob, with affiliations to Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnat and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The FIR invoked sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, pertaining to acts of terrorism. It also referred to various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including those related to rioting, assault, damage, and intentional insults to religious sentiments. The FIR also mentioned violations of the Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) Act 2015.
