Daily Times

Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said that the provincial government would “restore” all the churches and the homes of the Christian community which were attacked and torched during the mob violence which targeted the minority community a day earlier.

Addressing a meeting attended by religious leaders of the Christian community, Naqvi condemned the violence and said such actions are against the teachings of Islam and those of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He added that all buildings damaged in the mob violence would be restored in “three to four days” to their original state and vowed to prevent any such “conspiracy” in the future.

Paramilitary troops have cordoned off a Christian settlement in Punjab where a mob vandalised and torched several churches and scores of houses after two men living there were accused of desecrating the Holy Quran, police and witnesses said on Thursday.

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 men, who had fled their homes, be handed over to them.

A provincial government statement said paramilitary troops were deployed to help police control the situation. Moshin Naqvi said that “both main accused” in Jaranwala rampage were now in the custody of the Counter Terrorism Department. Separately, in a statement issued late on Wednesday night, Punjab police said it had made over 100 arrests while the Jaranwala police booked over 600 people in two terror cases. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Naqvi said: “Major breakthrough in the Jaranwala Incident – both main accused now in CTD custody.”

He appreciated the provincial chief secretary and police chief for their “relentless efforts” and thanked the interim premier for “driving the swift arrest process”. Meanwhile, an inquiry team of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) visited Jaranwala. The body said in a press release that the probe revealed that a total of 17 churches were gutted in the incidents, which included both registered and unregistered ones. “Some 80 homes have been vandalised and damaged of which 30 to 40 homes have been completely burnt,” it said. The NCHR delegation held meetings with Faisalabad Commissioner Silwat Saeed and officers of the district administration. The team also met families of the affected community and witnessed the “devastation wrought by the rioters the day before”.

“The commission was informed that FIRs under ATA and sec 324 and 353 PPC have been registered against 128 persons. The accused are under arrest and will be presented for remand tomorrow,” the press release stated. Meanwhile, Section 144 was imposed in the area to maintain calm while 3,500 policemen and 180 Rangers personnel were deployed for safety purposes.