The victim of the attack, Nazir Masih, 72, was attacked by an angry crowd. They burned down his house and his business and the police were unable to intervene. The family has fled, while the man is in the hospital in critical condition. Nine months after the attacks in Jaranwala, the Christian community in the Punjab region is once again the target of hostilities.
Sargodha () – A new case of violence against Christians occurred on Saturday, May 25, in Punjab, the most populated region in eastern Pakistan, on the border with India. The shadows are spreading from the devastating attack on the region’s Christian community in August last year in Jaranwala, against more than 20 churches and almost 100 houses, confirming the high levels of discrimination caused by rampant Islamic intolerance. In Sargodha, capital of the district of the same name, in the Mujahid Colony, a mob brutally beat Nazir Masih, a 72-year-old Christian, and set fire to his house and his business. What sparked violence from the crowd, who also attempted to beat his son Sultan Gill and his family, was an alleged accusation of blasphemy.
At this moment the victim is in a hospital in critical condition, due to the blows he received. They also set fire to Sultan Gill’s shoe shop. The family, consisting of twelve members, barely had time to escape before the mob attacked them again. Numerous photographic and video testimonies are circulating on social networks showing an angry crowd, including teenagers and children. In the images you can see the man fainted and bleeding on the ground, and the people who continue to beat him, despite the vain attempts of one person to contain the attacks. Several uniformed Punjab Police officers can also be seen in the crowd, watching without intervening. Finally, law enforcement dispersed the crowd that had gathered in front of the victims’ house. Due to this new attack, many Christians in the area have fled to avoid possible attacks by extremist mobs. It was also reported that around fifteen police officers were seriously injured by the crowd while trying to contain it. Police have lodged FIRs against 44 known and 450 unknown culprits under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The ecclesiastical authorities of the region have expressed their deep concern about what happened, pointing out that this attack once again highlights the failure of the State and the police to stop the growing extremism and violence that are spreading in society. , despite the directives of the Supreme Court. They also urged the Punjab law enforcement agencies and the district administration to ensure the safety of the Christian community and bring those responsible to justice, underlining the need for speedy and impartial justice to restore confidence in the legal system. A judicial investigation by Dr. Shoaib Suddle – who has previously been involved in defending the rights of the country’s minority communities – is also requested to establish responsibility for the mob attack and identify the agents of police who did not intervene in a timely manner. They also asked that false blasphemy accusations not be registered against Christians and that they be provided with protection.
“It is alarming that people feel forced to take the law into their own hands, which indicates a serious loss of confidence in the police and the judiciary,” comments Joseph Jansen, human rights activist. They also note that these episodes are reminiscent of the violent attacks of August 2023 in Jaranwala, triggered by an alleged desecration of the Koran, and call for the urgent need for the government to implement legal and administrative measures to stop the trend towards mafia justice and promote a tolerant and respectful society. Speaking to , Fr. Khalid Rashid Asi, diocesan director of the NCJP (National Commission for Justice and Peace), said: “I am deeply saddened and with a broken heart I condemn this horrible incident in Sargodha. No Christian can humiliate the Holy Quran; They involve them in these attacks only to settle scores and for personal grudges. The crowd does not have the right to lynch anyone; “It is up to the police and the judicial system to provide justice for all.” Father Khalid Rashid Asi believes that the spread of violence in the name of religion is due to the government’s lack of capacity to deradicalize citizens and the lack of political will to introduce profound reforms in the laws relating to defamation of religion. religion. “Serious action must be taken against those who participate in these attacks,” he concludes.
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