Sargodha, Pakistan

Police arrested at least 25 people in Pakistan's Punjab province after reports of an angry mob torturing a person from the minority Christian community surfaced.

Advertisment

As per Geo News, the man was tortured by the mob over the alleged desecration of Islam's holy book, the Quran.

The situation turned violent when the mob set ablaze the man's house situated in the Mujahid Colony residential area of Sargodha, damaged his belongings. The mob also set a shoe factory established within the building on fire.

The angry men also torched tyres and damaged the electricity installations in the area.

Advertisment

×

Police, upon receiving the information, rescued the man and his father and shifted them to an undisclosed location.

The police officials said that they had to resort to tear gas shelling to disperse the mob and apprehended at least 25 people who were allegedly involved in the riots. 

Advertisment

“When police arrived, the mob had gathered outside the houses. Officers cordoned off the area and safely evacuated all residents,” the Dawn quoted Sargodha District Police Officer (DPO) Asad Ejaz Malhi as saying.

The police said that the situation was brought under control.

“The police peacefully dispersed the crowd,” he added.

Also read: Heatwave in Pakistan: Jacobabad sizzles at 50°C, faces frequent power cuts

'Probe initiated into the matter'

RPO Siddiqui, according to Geo News, said that the probe into the incident was initiated by the police and that legal action would be taken against the ones found guilty of committing blasphemy.

Sargodha Division Commissioner Muhammad Ajmal Bhatti vowed justice and ensured that a transparent inquiry would be held into the matter.

He also confirmed that no one was killed in the incident.

“Only one person sustained injuries in the incident,” the commissioner said, adding that the individual was at present in a stable condition and would be discharged from the hospital very soon.

Several videos of the incident surfaced on social media, after which Minority Rights March released a statement saying that the footage showed how a 70-year-old man was attacked by the mob “on the instigation of a local cleric” while his home and factory were being burned down.

“The videos of the attack clearly show officers of the Punjab police being present on the site as silent spectators which points towards their tacit approval and facilitation of the terrorists involved in the attack,” the statement said.

(With inputs from agencies)