More than 100 Muslims arrested after mobs attack churches across Pakistan

Muslims in eastern Pakistan engaged in violent protests on Wednesday, spurred by accusations of desecration of the Quran by a Christian man.

The interim government of Punjab launched a probe after a mob set fire to multiple churches and also vandalised homes belonging to Christians.

More than 100 individuals were arrested during overnight raids, the police said on Thursday.

Authorities added that no casualties have been reported so far.

The attacks on at least five churches took place in the city of Jaranwala in Faisalabad district. Local media labelled it one of the most deadly incidents against Christians in the country.

A mob made its way through a predominantly Christian neighbourhood on the outskirts of the industrial city of Faisalabad on Wednesday, driven by the allegations of desecration of a Quran – the holy book of Islam – by a Christman man.

“This was a well thought out plan to disrupt peace and a high-level investigation is underway regarding the desecration of the Holy Quran and incidents that take place afterwards,” a spokesperson for the provincial government of Punjab said in a statement.

Authorities said on Thursday that the situation on the ground in Jaranwala remained tense. However, media reports said that Christians slowly returned to their homes on Thursday, only to see at least one church that was burned and four others that were also damaged.

At least two dozen homes belonging to Christian families were torched or badly damaged during the riots.

“We were sitting at home when suddenly we heard that a mob is coming and it is burning homes and attacking churches,” Shazia Amjad said.

She was quoted as saying by the Associated Press that the rioters burned household items and furniture. As Ms Amjad and her family sought refuge in a secure location, some of their belongings were also stolen, she lamented.

It was reported that in an attempt to pacify the situation, delegations of Muslim clerics arrived in Jaranwala while troops and police maintained their presence in the area.

The local authorities have also taken preventive measures by temporarily closing schools and offices and imposing a week-long ban on rallies to mitigate the risk of further violence.

Rizwan Khan, the regional police chief, said 129 suspects had been arrested so far.

On Wednesday, the US urged Pakistan to investigate the mob attacks against churches and Christian homes. “We are deeply concerned that churches and homes were targeted in response to reported Quran desecration in Pakistan,” the State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said.

He stated that while the US supports free expression, “violence or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of expression”.

“We urge Pakistani authorities to conduct a full investigation into these allegations and call for calm.”

Pakistani bishop Azad Marshall from Lahore said the Christian community was “deeply pained and distressed” by the events. He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan.

“A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been tortured and harassed, having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran.”

He continued: “We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom.”

Caretaker prime minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar wrote: “I am gutted by the visuals coming out of Jaranwala,#Faisalabad. Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities. All law enforcement has been asked to apprehend culprits and bring them to justice. Rest assured that the government of Pakistan stands with our citizenry on equal basis.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said: “The mob-led assault on Christian families and their homes and sites of worship in #Jaranwala, Faisalabad, following allegations of blasphemy, must be condemned in no uncertain terms. The frequency and scale of such attacks – which are systematic, violent and often uncontainable appear to have increased in recent years.”

It added: “Not only has the state failed to protect its religious minorities, but it has also allowed the far right to permeate and fester within society and politics. Both the perpetrators and instigators of this violence must be identified and punished to the full extent of the law.”

Amnesty International also condemned the attacks on churches in Jaranwala. Rehab Mahamoor, interim regional researcher for South Asia at Amnesty International, said: “The authorities in Pakistan must immediately address the climate of impunity around violence against religious minorities.

“The vicious mob attacks are just the latest manifestation of the threat of vigilante violence which anyone can face in Pakistan after a blasphemy accusation – with religious minorities disproportionately vulnerable to the same. The existence of blasphemy laws continues to embolden groups and individuals who threaten, attack or attempt to kill the accused, or anyone connected, including members of their community.”

He added: “The broad, vague and coercive nature of the blasphemy laws violate the human rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and freedom of expression. They have long been misused to target some of the most marginalized people in society. The blasphemy laws should be repealed as a matter of urgency and in the meantime, the authorities should put in place effective safeguards against their abuse.”