Christians in Pakistan reeling year after horrific attacks
LAHORE, Pakistan — A year after one of the worst attacks on Christians in Pakistan, Christians called for justice regarding the rioting in Jaranwala, as most of those arrested have been discharged or released on bail.
More than 25 churches and 85 homes of Christians in Jaranwala were ransacked and looted on Aug. 16, 2023, by a frenzied mob of thousands of Muslims after two Christian brothers were accused of writing blasphemous content and desecrating copies of the Quran. The attack drew nationwide condemnation.
Only a dozen suspects of the more than 300 people arrested are facing trials in an anti-terrorism court, said the chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, attorney Akmal Bhatti.
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“A majority of the suspects have either been bailed out or were discharged from the cases due to defective police investigation,” Bhatti told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News from Faisalabad.
The attorney and political leader said that denying justice to Christians made a mockery of Pakistan’s constitution, which guarantees security and protection to religious minorities.
“The Jaranwala incident is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan,” he said. “The government’s failure to bring the perpetrators to justice shows its [lack of] interest in protecting religious minorities from future violence.”
Amnesty International found that of the 5,213 suspects, 380 were arrested, while 4,833 remained at large.
“Of the arrested suspects, 228 were released on bail and 77 others had the charges against them dropped,” Amnesty stated, based on information from police after filing a Right to Information Request.
Trials of suspects have not started, and about 40% of victims who lost property are still awaiting government compensation, according to Amnesty.
“Despite the authorities’ assurances of accountability, the grossly inadequate action has allowed a climate of impunity for the perpetrators of the Jaranwala violence,” Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for South Asia, said in the statement.
Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan, and those found guilty of insulting Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out death sentences for blasphemy, often the accusation alone can spark riots and incite mobs to violence.
The two Christian brothers in Jaranwala were acquitted of the blasphemy charges earlier this year after an anti-terrorism court found that they had been framed by another Christian following a personal dispute.
Ostracization
Two Christian residents of Jaranwala said area Christians continued to face intimidation and exclusion after the Aug. 16, 2023, attacks.
“The situation has worsened as our Muslim neighbors and other people have stopped talking or doing business with us,” Salim Masih told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “I used to run a tailoring shop and had three or four Muslim apprentices, but after the incident my Muslim landlord told me to vacate the shop, and my staff also refused to work under me.”
He added that he was unable to provide for his family as he receives a fraction of the orders he used to get before the attacks.
Resident Yaqub Gill said he was one of the complainants in the 17 private cases filed by Christians, along with five registered by the state.
“I was constantly threatened by local Muslims to withdraw my complaint,” Gill said. “I informed the police, but instead of taking action against those people, they framed me in a fake case.”
Christian residents are hard-pressed following the attacks, he said.
“A lot of our people worked in nearby factories but after the incident, many were fired from their jobs,” Gill said. “Those having small businesses have suffered financial losses because the local Muslims are not doing business with them.”
Soon after the police crackdown, Christians started getting threats from members of extremist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to withdraw from the cases, he said.
“Due to the threats, many Christians refused to stand as witnesses in court, leading to bails for the suspects,” he said.
Salman Farooq of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that among those bailed out in recent months were Younis Machhi, who made the announcement on the mosque loudspeaker for people to riot.
“There’s clear video evidence of Younis Machhi inciting the people to attack Christians, yet he, too, has walked free on bail,” Farooq said. “Almost all those who have been freed from custody have been hailed as heroes on their return.”
A fact-finding visit to Jaranwala found many Christians complaining of police detention and torture, Farooq said.
“Apart from this, the families have not been completely rehabilitated, and while the government promised compensation money, not every household has managed to acquire this because in some households there are multiple families staying after their homes were destroyed, and the less powerful residents of that household have not been able to take the money. At least 50 families have not received the money.”
When they go to the local administration, they receive no help, he said.
He endorsed the claims of the two Christians that social relations between the Christian and Muslim community soured after the Jaranwala attacks.
“Christian workers are being fired from their workplaces, including factories in and around that tehsil and in Faisalabad as well,” Farooq said. “Children are facing discrimination in schools from other children as well. It’s a sad situation.”
Church leaders and rights activists say that the government’s failure to implement a 2014 landmark judgment by former Chief Justice Tassaduq Jillani has left religious minorities communities vulnerable to repeated acts of violence and persecution.
“The Jaranwala incident questions the effectiveness and enforcement of legal protections for minorities,” said Church of Pakistan President Bishop Azad Marshall.
The state could have prevented the attacks in Jaranwala and other places if it had fully implemented Jillani’s recommendations, he added.
The judgment condemned violence against minorities and laid out comprehensive recommendations to protect minority rights and promote religious tolerance. These included creating a special police force for protecting places of worship, establishing a National Council for Minorities’ Rights, and reforming educational curricula to foster religious harmony.
Despite the urgency of these recommendations, implementation has been sluggish and incomplete. Efforts to bolster security for places of worship have been inconsistent, and the nationwide establishment of a dedicated special police force as envisioned in the Jillani judgment remains unfulfilled.
The senior church leader said he regretted that his demand for accountability from police and the administration was stonewalled by the Punjab government.
“We filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the incident and hold the negligent officials accountable, but the provincial government fiercely opposed it,” Marshall said. “We feared that the suspects would not be prosecuted, and this is exactly what has happened.”
With the rise of threats from extremist groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, tensions demand immediate and decisive action by the government, he said.
“The path forward for Pakistan involves not just the protection of minority rights, but the promotion of an inclusive and tolerant society where all citizens can live without fear of persecution,” Marshall said. “The stakes are high, and the consequences of inaction could be dire. Pakistan must act now to ensure a future where all its citizens can live in peace and harmony.”
In 2023 alone there were at least 193 attacks on minorities, including assaults on individuals, properties and places of worship, according to the Centre for Social Justice. An increase in blasphemy cases has seen at least 350 persons behind bars in Punjab Province as of June, of which 103 were accused of blasphemy since January, according to the centre.
There has also been an upsurge in killings related to blasphemy allegations in the past two years. At least six people were killed after blasphemy accusations in 2023, according to the report. Along with two extrajudicial killings, another three who were accused of blasphemy died in jail between June 2023 and 2024. Thus, a total of 11 individuals accused of blasphemy have lost their lives in the past 18 months, it stated.
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
Originally published at Christian Daily International–Morning Star News
