HYDERABAD: Mem-bers of the Christian community, along with their Muslim supporters and activists of various civil society organisations, held protest rallies and demonstrations in almost all district headquarters in Sindh on Sunday to condemn the Jaranwala (Faisalabad) tragedy in which churches and houses of the minority community were ransacked and torched by fanatics.

In Hyderabad, a large number of Christian men, women and children carrying the sign of cross and banners held a demonstration outside the local press club.

They were led by Fr Jamil Albert, Master Akram Masih, Rukhsat Guzlar Masih and others.

The protesters were raising different slogans, including Ham bhi Pakistani heyn (We are also Pakistanis).

The leaders, speaking to the media, said that Christians had been contributing to the progress of this country ever since its independence. But, they said, for long now, Christians here were being discriminated against and their life had become a hell for them. They further said that they were being targeted on one pretext or the other to institute false cases against them.

They noted with grief that their places of worship had been attacked and burnt in Punjab which had created a sense of insecurity in the whole community.

They said that in the latest tragedy, many churches were burnt in Jaranwala which was unprecedented. They asserted that they were equal citizens of this state and respected all religions. They said that their rights should be protected by the state.

LARKANA: A ‘prayer day’ was organised by the St. Joseph Catholic Church here on Sunday.

Father Ashfaq, Sagar Anthony, Saleem Farooqi Antohny along with Larkana Shehri Ittehad president Niaz Abro and a large number of Christian community members attended the gathering in the church.

The participants, as a token of protest, held placards to condemn the Jaranwala incident.

Speaking to the audience, leaders of Christian community condemned the Jarawala incident in strongest words, saying that under a conspiracy, churches and properties of Christians were targeted and torched by religious extremists.

The Christian community in the vandalised area was still traumatised and wrapped in fear. “We find no words to condemn the incident,” they said, adding: “We are Pakistanis and we love Pakistan; every citizen of this country enjoys religious freedom under the Constitution”. But certain anti-social elements could not digest this kind of freedom, they observed, and said the Jarawala incident was part of this anti-social attitude.

They demanded arrest of the culprits and exemplary punishment to them to ensure safety and security of the Christian community. They also demanded compensation to the affected people.

In Mirpurkhas, scores of Christians along with their Muslim supporters took part in a rally taken out on Sunday from the St. Teresa Hospital. The participants marched up to the local press club, where they held a demonstration against the Jaranwala tragedy.

The rally was organised by the ‘Christian Comm-unity of Mirpurkhas’ and ‘All Churches Mirpurkhas’. It was led by clerics Barnabas Masih and Naeem Chughtai.

The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans condemning the Jaranwala rampage and demanding security to the minority community.

Their leaders called for an impartial inquiry into the incident and exemplary punishment to all those involved in the rampage, desecration and other inhuman acts.

SUKKUR: A similar rally was taken out from the St. Mary’s School Church in Sukkur.

The participants condemned the Jaranwala incident and demanded apprehension of the miscreants who set the churches and homes on fire.

The protesters raised charged slogans against the unruly mob and demanded protection to their community members across the country.

In Jacobabad, members of Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Muslims communities took out a joint rally from the Christ Church and held a demonstration outside the local press club against the tragedy.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against fanaticism, extremism, and intolerance, the protesters demanded cleansing society of fanatics who would resort to attacking places of worship at their whim. They demanded stern action against all those who unleashed a reign of terror.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2023