Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Moshin Naqvi on Thursday said that “both main accused” in yesterday’s Jaranwala rampage when a mob torched several churches, ransacked Christian homes and vandalised a graveyard were now in the custody of the Counter Terrorism Department.
On Wednesday, a violent mob of hundreds had ransacked and torched several churches while also attacking the residences of members of the Christian community.
A Christian cemetery and the office of the local assistant commissioner were also vandalised. The incident had led the Punjab government to call in Rangers while 3,000 police personnel from various police units, including the Elite Force, had been deployed as well.
As per police and local sources, the violence erupted after some locals alleged that several desecrated pages of the Holy Quran had been found near a house at Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala, where two Christian brothers resided.
The Punjab government had also ordered the formation of a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the incident, in line with directives issued by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq.
Separately, in a statement issued late on Wednesday night, Punjab police said it had made over 100 arrests while the Jaranwala police booked over 600 people in two terror cases.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) today, Naqvi said: “Major breakthrough in the Jaranwala Incident both main accused now in CTD custody.”
He appreciated the provincial chief secretary and police chief for their “relentless efforts” and thanked the interim premier for “driving the swift arrest process”.
In a meeting with religious leaders earlier today, Naqvi also announced that the Punjab government would restore all the churches and homes ransacked in the incident and asserted that such incidents were anti-Islam and against the teachings of the Holy Prophet.
“Whatever damages took place, as a government, Muslims and humans, we will restore them.”
He claimed the mob-led attack was a “planned conspiracy” to “light a fire in the country and sabotage its peace”.
“For the future, we should sit with our minorities and chalk out a plan to prevent such incidents,” he stressed, urging religious leaders to spread the message of the Holy Quran among the people.
The caretaker CM added that all Pakistanis were one and promised to prevent any such “conspiracy” in the future. “There is no space for this in our country.”
Naqvi also appreciated the provincial chief secretary and police chief for effectively controlling the situation in Jaranwala yesterday and preventing any loss of life.
In a press conference in Lahore later in the evening, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi apologised for the Jaranwala violence and reaffirmed the commitment to protect “our Christian brothers”.
“We are ashamed,” he said. “We failed to fulfil our responsibility as an elder brother … we seek forgiveness.”
A visibly emotional Ashrafi continued, “Yesterday, I saw a video in which young girls were hiding in the fields, they spent the entire night there […] these are the same girls who our Holy Prophet (PBUH) called blessings.”
“I want to ask today, who are these people? Where do they come from? What religion do they follow? I swear these are not the teaching of Islam or the prophet that you cause damage to anyone,” he asserted.
The scholar further stated that there were “no words” to express the shame he was feeling and proceeded to apologise to Archbishop Sebastian Shaw, who was sitting next to him.
Ashrafi demanded that the trial of the perpetrators should be held in the torched churches, adding that “the nation wants these people to be punished”.
“A week back, we were all gathered here to condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran … today they burnt this Bible, they burnt this Zabur, they burnt this Torah … these books are as sacred to me as the Holy Quran is,” he said, adding that burning a church was equivalent to torching a mosque.
Ashrafi further demanded that the government should immediately restore the churches and Christian homes that were ransacked a day earlier and hoped that the interim prime minister would fulfil these demands.
“The premier should also himself visit these places so that we can give a message to the world that we, Muslims, have nothing to do with this violence,” he added.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Shaw, while recalling events leading to the violence, said that all the Christians in Jaranwala had on August 13 celebrated Independence Day with the rest of the country.
He said the problem began at 6am yesterday when someone alleged that a copy of the Holy Quran was burnt in the area. “I believe it was done under some planning because all Christians in Pakistan are given the education that we live among 95 per cent Muslims.
“No Christian can ever think of disrespecting the Holy Quran, let alone burn it,” he highlighted, adding that elements involved in the incident had “a sole purpose of creating unrest”.
All the Christians, the archbishop continued, condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran but at the same time urged Muslims to exercise restraint and patience.
Talking about the attack on Christian homes and churches, he demanded that the violence should be probed.
“Announcements were made through a mosque after which a crowd converged and they attacked the community,” he stated, adding that more than 20 churches were torched, holy books were burnt and graves were destroyed.
This incident is an attack on Pakistan’s integrity, Archbishop Shaw said and urged the government to probe the attack and punish those involved “indiscriminately”.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir also condemned the Jaranwala violence, describing it as “extremely tragic and totally intolerable”.
According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief made these remarks while addressing the participants of the ISPR Internship Program in Rawalpindi.
“Jaranwala incident is extremely tragic and totally intolerable,” he is quoted as saying. “There is no space for such incidents of intolerance and extreme behavior by any segment of the society against anyone particularly against minorities.”
“All citizens of Pakistan are equal amongst each other irrespective of religion, gender, cast or creed,” COAS Munir said.
“No one will be allowed to take law in own hands and those culpable of committing such crimes will be brought before the court of justice.”
Meanwhile, an inquiry team of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) visited Jaranwala today.
The body said in a press release that the probe revealed that a total of 17 churches were gutted in the incidents, which included both registered and unregistered ones. “Some 80 homes have been vandalised and damaged of which 30 to 40 homes have been completely burnt,” it said.
The NCHR delegation held meetings with Faisalabad Commissioner Silwat Saeed and officers of the district administration. The team also met families of the affected community and witnessed the “devastation wrought by the rioters the day before”.
“The commission was informed that FIRs under ATA and sec 324 and 353 PPC have been registered against 128 persons. The accused are under arrest and will be presented for remand tomorrow,” the press release stated.
Meanwhile, Section 144 was imposed in the area to maintain calm while 3,500 policemen and 180 Rangers personnel were deployed for safety purposes.
“Faisalabad is a hotbed for religious violence. Many incidents of allegations of blasphemy and desecration of churches have already been reported in this area. The region is a tinderbox and the government must look to address interfaith harmony and cultivate tolerance,” the press release quoted the NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha as saying.
She added that the situation was still tense in the area and stressed that special measures needed to be taken to prevent any hostile situation in the future.
