IRSC condemns the recent assaults targeting Christians in Sargodha district of Punjab Province in Pakistan
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Irfan Engineer
May 30, 2024, 7:00:52 AMMay 30
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The Inter-Religious Solidarity Council condemns the recent assaults targeting Christians in Sargodha district of Punjab Province in Pakistan on May 25th that resulted in severe injuries to 10 individuals, with churches in the Mujahid Colony being attacked. The attacks took place upon allegations that a Christian man named Nazir Masih (70) had desecrated the Holy Quran. A mob of enraged individuals attacked Nazir's home, resulting in his severe injuries, and also set fire to his shoe factory, several other shops and houses in the vicinity owned by Christians. Human rights groups in Pakistan allege that according to video footage of the incident that has gone viral, the police didn’t intervene for some time and allowed the violence to perpetrate (Reuters, 2024). However, according to some sources, in the aftermath, the police have booked in a FIR, 450 persons and arrested 25 (News 18, 2024). The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a radical group, has claimed responsibility for the violence.
Over the years, the TLP has been successful in radicalizing Pakistani youth, particularly in the Punjab Province, and has made inroads into electoral politics in the country. Unfortunately, such incidents of anti-Christian violence are not isolated occurrences. The blasphemy laws in Pakistan are instrumentalized to target innocent Christians and Hindus, as noted by human rights organizations and civil society. This incident echoes one of the most severe attacks on Christians in Pakistan in August 2023, when mobs burned churches and assaulted dozens in Jaranwala, Punjab province, after allegations of desecration of the Quran as in other similar cases in the past.
The persecution of Christians in Pakistan is deeply concerning. The Inter-Religious Solidarity Council (IRSC) in Mumbai strongly condemns this attack and urges the Pakistani authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice swiftly. The state should act decisively against TLP. Additionally, it calls upon the authorities to ensure protection and equality of Christians in Pakistan to prevent the recurrence of such tragic events.
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