Pakistan: Muslim cleric among dozen probed over blasphemy riots

A senior police official in Pakistan said on Saturday (August 19) that a Muslim cleric is among a dozen persons being investigated for inciting people to protest using mosque loudspeakers. The protest was called against alleged blasphemy by Christians. The calls to protest resulted in mob violence earlier this week during which churches were burnt.

More than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches were vandalised in Jaranwala in Pakistan's Punjab province on Wednesday (August 16).

Reports that a Quranhad been desecrated were broadcast from mosques, with one cleric telling his followers it was "Better to die if you don't care about Islam".

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"That cleric should have understood that when you gather people in such a charged environment... in a country in which people were already very sensitive about (blasphemy) it is like adding fuel to fire," Punjab police chief Usman Anwar told AFP during an interview in Lahore on Friday.

"He's not saying that go and burn their houses. But when the mob gathers, it's really impossible to control it."

Anwar said that the cleric was one of the 12 people who were being investigated for the use of mosque loudspeakers. More than 125 people have been arrested in connection with the vandalism that followed. Technology such as facial recognition, mobile phone geo-fencing has been used to apprehend the culprits. The data from social media was also used to track those responsible.

At the peak of the violence, more than 5000 people had gathered into the neighbourhood from other districts. Other smaller mobs spread to narrow alleys ransacking homes.

The Christian residents fled in hundreds. They have criticised police for failing to protect their property. Some of them were sheltered by their Muslim neighbours.

"If police had started baton charging, or attacking (the mob) or tear gassing that would have resulted in multiple injuries or deaths. And that is what we were avoiding at that time. That would have aggravated the situation that would have spread in all the country," Anwar said.

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Negotiations with religious leaders led to calls for calm, he added.

Two Christian brothers were arrested for blasphemy after torn pages of the Holy Quran were stuck to the walls of a mosque. The pages had offensive words scrawled across them.

Anwar said he personally interrogated the pair to avoid the possibility of accusations of torture.

On Friday, 3,200 churches were guarded by police across Punjab province to provide reassurance to the Christian community, Anwar said, adding that he would travel to Jaranwala Sunday to show solidarity.

(With inputs from agencies)

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