Pakistani police have arrested two main suspects in connection with the unprecedented attack on 21 churches and nearly three dozen homes in the minority Christian community on charges of blasphemy, Punjab Acting Minister Mohsin Naqvi said. know.
He praised the efforts of the Punjab Chief of Staff and the Inspector General of the Police, saying that both played an important role in apprehending the main suspects.
An angry mob ransacked and burned 21 churches and 35 Christian homes on Wednesday over allegations of blasphemy in the town of Jaranwala in Faisalabad district, 130 kilometers from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.
"Major breakthrough in Jaranwala case - two main defendants are currently in the custody of CTD. Chief Secretary of Punjab and IG of Punjab highly appreciated for their tireless efforts..." Naqvi said on the platform social network X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday. In a separate article on Friday, he wrote that mosques in Pakistan's Punjab province will have sermons on Friday focusing on minority rights.
"Friday sermons today across Punjab will focus on minority rights, the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)," he said.
"In these difficult times, let us stress that such incidents should not be colored by religion. Harmony between religions is one of the fundamental teachings of Islam. We are grateful to religious scholars for their patience and assistance in unmasking those who seek to undermine world peace." Our country," he said. Punjab police arrested at least 140 people and recorded five cases on Thursday, a day after the outbreak of violence.
Among those detained by police was the main suspect Muhammad Yasin, identified through a video in which he was seen making an announcement over a mosque loudspeaker to incite Muslims. against religious minorities.
Members of the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were also among those arrested in connection with the violence.
The Jaranwala incident has been widely condemned, with national leaders and international organizations calling for justice for those whose homes and places of worship have been ransacked and destroyed.
Army chief General Asim Munir on Thursday called the incident "extremely tragic and completely intolerable" and promised that the perpetrators involved in the attacks would be brought to justice. "There is no place for such incidents of intolerance and extreme behavior by any section of society against anyone, especially against minorities," he said, quoted by Inter. -Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the Army.
US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters his country was "deeply concerned" about targeting churches and homes in response to reports of Quran desecration. 'in Pakistan.
"We urge the Pakistani authorities to thoroughly investigate these allegations and call for calm," he said.
Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) President Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi apologized for the Jaranwala violence and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting "our Christians", Dawn newspaper reported.
“We are very embarrassed. We didn't fulfill our responsibilities as a big brother…we apologize,” he said at a press conference here.
Amnesty International, in its statement, asked that "the authorities ensure [the] protection of the Christian minority community".
Rehab Mahamoor, acting South Asia researcher at Amnesty International, said authorities should also ensure that those responsible for arson attacks and assaults on churches and homes stay responsible.
