Services to resume in Jaranwala churches after rampage

The rampaged churches in Jaranwala will resume routine services today (Sunday) for the first time since the protests against the alleged blasphemy by Christians, which erupted into mob violence earlier this week.

More than 90 Christian homes and 21 churches were vandalised when hundreds rampaged through a Christian neighbourhood in Jaranwala in Punjab province on Wednesday.

Reports that a copy of the Quran had been desecrated were broadcast from mosques, with one cleric telling his followers it was “better to die if you don't care about Islam”.

Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar said that more than 160 out of 170 suspects have been arrested linked to the vandalism that followed, thanks to the use of facial recognition technology, mobile phone geo-fencing, and data gathered from social media and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) records.

More arrests are expected soon, he added.

The police chief said that a cleric was among the dozen people who are being investigated over the use of mosque loudspeakers to give a protest call against the alleged blasphemy.

“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 Inspector General (IG) 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 that," the police chief said.

Anwar further stated that the women assistant superintendents will be on duty in Jaranwala until the restoration of affected houses, to ensure the security of Christian women and children.

At its peak, more than 5,000 people had poured into the neighbourhood from other districts, with smaller mobs spreading to narrow alleys where they ransacked homes.

Christians who fled in their hundreds have criticised police for failing to protect their property, with some 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 the country,” Anwar said.

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

Two Christian brothers have been arrested for blasphemy. Anwar said he personally interrogated the pair to avoid the possibility of accusations of torture.

Meanwhile, the restoration process of the torched houses is underway.

The deputy commissioner said that the affectees are traumatised by the rampage and loss of valuables.

On Friday, 3,200 churches were guarded by police across Punjab province to provide reassurance to the Christian community, Anwar said.

Anwar said that while the anger towards blasphemy may be justified, the violent reactions were not, describing the scenes in Jaranwala as “tragic”. He said it was the role of clerics and the government to ensure that religion was not misused.

“The most important thing is that we, the Muslims, in this country, are going to become more tolerant. Once we are given the true message of Islam, that is the role of the government,” he said.

— Additional input from AFP