Two Christian brothers arrested for blasphemy that led to riots in Pakistan’s Jaranwala
Pakistan church attack
Two Christian brothers were arrested in Pakistan for the alleged desecration of the holy book Quran, which had sparked deadly riots in Jaranwala, Reuters reported quoting police.
Police found torn pages of Quaran in the street which allegedly had derogatory comments written on them in red, police said on Friday (Aug 18).
Another page carried the names, addresses and national identity card numbers of the accused, provincial police chief Usman Anwar said, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, a court has ordered the two suspects to be held in police custody for seven days for questioning.
Police are investigating as to why the names and addresses were written on it, Anwar told Reuters.
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Blasphemy laws are quite strict in Pakistan, with the maximum punishment attracting the death penalty.
Violence continued for 10 hours
Though acts of blasphemy have been reported many times in Pakistan, those accused have not faced capital punishment. But the perpetrators have been lynched by outraged mobs.
A former provincial governor and a minister for minorities were shot dead for trying to reform the blasphemy law.
Pakistan church attacks: Rights groups demandjustice
On Wednesday, hundreds of people from the Islam faith ransacked and set six churches on fire in a predominantly Christian area on the outskirts of the industrial city after allegations spread that the Holy Quran had been desecrated.
The mob also desecrated a Christian graveyard and set the belongings of Christians' houses on fire.
Several people claimed to have seen Muslims led by local clerics carrying iron rods, sticks and daggers during the violence.
For 10 hours, the chaos continued unabated with the police remaining silent spectators on the scene, local people told Reuters.
The police have, however, denied that, saying they prevented even worse damage.
Interim PM vows to protect minority
On Friday, while addressing the cabinet, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar assured that their interim government will protect the minorities and that they would not let forces of darkness to rule.
"The minorities will stay protected in this country. There may be an attempt to harm them from a section of the marginalised and peripheral group of people, but that would be responded sternly and strictly," Kakar said during his maiden federal cabinet meeting.
"Pakistani state and society [do] not align with such elements. They may be from us but they are divorced from us, they are divorced from our identity process. We do not stand for the forces of darkness," the interim prime minister said.
Police have so far arrested at least 128 people involved in the mob attack against the churches.
(With inputs from agencies)
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