TOBA TEK SINGH: First anniversary of Jaranwala riots was observed on Friday.

Faisalabad’s Bishop Inderyas Rehmat, DC Capt retired Nadeem Nasir, CPO Kamran Adil, Christian leaders Pastors Billy Graham, Javed Bhatti, Naveed Mukhtar, Fr Salman Maseeh, assistant commissioner Safdar Shabbir, SP Abid Zafar and Muslim scholar Allama Sikandar Zaki were also among participants.

Speakers said during the attacks on houses and churches after alleged desecration of Quran, Muslim and minority leaders joined hands to create harmony in Jaranwala.

They said the government resettled the displaced minority families quickly and also provided them with financial assistance. The DC and CPO also visited churches and localities of Christian community people.

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Meanwhile, Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP) central chairman advocate Akmal Bhatti has said that even after the passage of one year after the Jaranwala tragedy, the government had failed to provide justice to the victims.

In a statement, he claimed that 99 per cent of the accused in the Jaranwala incident were free. He said 26 churches were set on fire beside burning thousands of copies of the Holy Bible.

He said hundreds of suspects were arrested initially to appease the Christian community but they were later released. “Of the 303 individuals jailed, only 11 remained behind bars at present.”

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2024