On Monday, Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar embarked on a journey to Jaranwala in the Faisalabad district. His visit comes after the violent unrest on August 16, where an enraged crowd set 19 churches ablaze following blasphemy accusations.
Kakar, who assumed the role of caretaker prime minister just two days before the incident, on August 14, took to X (previously known as Twitter) to inform about his visit. “Setting forth to Jaranwala to stand with and support our Christian community,” he expressed in a post.
In the unfortunate events that transpired last week, over 80 homes belonging to Christians and 19 sacred church spaces were subjected to damage. A massive crowd, armed with batons and inflammable materials, wreaked havoc in a Christian-majority sector of Jaranwala, echoing slogans of a certain extremist party.
The turmoil was triggered by mosque announcements claiming that the Holy Quran had been defiled. An influential religious figure even went to the extent of stating, “One must choose death over indifference to Islam”. This violent incident drew sharp criticism from political figures, religious authorities, civil society members, and the head of the military.
Thanks to advanced technologies like facial recognition and mobile geo-fencing, over 125 individuals associated with the subsequent chaos have been detained. During the outbreak of the violence, the crowd had swelled to over 5,000 individuals, with several splinter groups branching out into alleys and causing destruction.
The Christian community, having evacuated in large numbers, has since expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of protective measures from the police. Meanwhile, stories of Muslim locals offering sanctuary to their Christian counterparts have also emerged.
