Church seeks judicial inquiry of Jaranwala incidents

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking judicial inquiry of the Jaranwala violent incidents against Christian community, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The petition has been filed in the high court by Grace Bible Fellowship Church.

Chief Secretary Punjab, Secretary Interior, IG Punjab and others have been made party in the plea.

“In violent incidents in Jaranwala, 25 churches and over 200 homes were burnt. Christians’ homes were plundered and destroyed,” according to petition.

“A joint investigation team has been constituted but its enforcement will take time.”

It has been petitioned that several victims of Jaranwala violence have been deprived of basic facilities even two weeks after the incident.

Petitioner has also requested arrest of the co-accused to provide protection to the Christian community.

Petitioner has requested for legal action against the accused shown in CCTV footage to stop them from issuing threats.

The court also pleaded for prompt administrative and financial assistance for rehabilitation of the victims of Christian community.

According to a report, the total number of rounded-up suspects in the Jaranwala incident has reached to 207.

A mob attacked, vandalized multiple churches, and torched homes belonging to the Christians in Jaranwala in Faisalabad district over blasphemy allegations.

The Jaranwala police had registered terror cases against more than 600 people on August 17 for “vandalizing multiple churches and torching homes belonging to the Christian community.”

According to the FIR, a mob of 500-600, who were led by a group of people, “attacked the Christian community, ransacked people’s homes, torched houses and the church buildings”.