Mufti Taqi Usmani, one of the country's senior-most clerics and Islamic scholars, has condemned the violence that erupted in Faisalabad's Jaranwala tehsil after its Christian community was targeted over alleged blasphemy allegations.
Terming the violent episode "shameful for the whole nation", Mufti Usmani said legal recourse, instead of violence, exists for the redressal of an insult committed by someone.
Taking to his official X, formerly Twitter, account, he wrote: "The incident of Jaranwala is shameful for the whole nation. If someone has done something insulting, there is a legal recourse."
He also wrote against burning a place of worship and harming a peaceful religious minority as a response.
"Burning churches or causing any harm to peaceful Christian citizens in response is highly condemnable. There is no room for such actions in Islam," the senior cleric added.
Hundreds of men attacked a predominantly Christian area on the outskirts of the industrial city earlier in the day after allegations spread that the Holy Quran had been desecrated.
A Christian leader, Akmal Bhatti, said the crowd had torched at least five churches and looted valuables from houses that had been abandoned by their owners after clerics made announcements in mosques inciting the mob.
Several social media posts showed some churches on fire as well as houses and belongings.
Meanwhile, two cases were registered against arsonists in Jaranwala in which 37 suspects were named, while more than 600 unknown people were included in the investigation.
According to the police, the mob vandalised and set fire to the houses and churches. They added that cases have been registered under the charges of terrorism and blasphemy including 13 other provisions.
The police said it took two accused men in custody on Thursday for inciting violence. The development came after the Punjab interim government ordered a high-level inquiry into the violent episode.
Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the two main suspects are in the custody of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
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