One year after one of the worst attacks on Christians in Pakistan, Christians on Friday 16 August gathered to call for justice regarding the rioting in Jaranwala as most of those arrested have been discharged or released on bail, sources said.
More than 25 churches and 85 homes of Christians in Jaranwala were ransacked and looted on 16 August 2023 by a frenzied mob of thousands of Muslims after two Christian brothers were accused of writing blasphemous content and desecrating the Koran. The attack drew nationwide condemnation.
Only a dozen suspects of the more than 300 people arrested are facing trials in an anti-terrorism court, said the chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, attorney Akmal Bhatti.
“A majority of the suspects have either been bailed out or were discharged from the cases due to defective police investigation,” Bhatti told sources.
The attorney and political leader said that denying justice to Christians made a mockery of Pakistan’s constitution, which guarantees security and protection to religious minorities.
“The Jaranwala incident is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan,” he said. “The government’s failure to bring the perpetrators to justice shows its [lack of] interest in protecting religious minorities from future violence.”
Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan, and those found guilty of insulting Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out death sentences for blasphemy, often the accusation alone can spark riots and incite mobs to violence.
The two Christian brothers in Jaranwala were acquitted of the blasphemy charges earlier this year after an anti-terrorism court found that they had been framed by another Christian following a personal dispute.
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