Jaranwala incident: PPP demands ‘speedy trial’ of suspects

JARANWALA: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has demanded the speedy trial of the suspected persons involved in the Jaranwala incident, ARY News reported on Sunday.

PPP leaders including Nayyar Bukhari, Sherry Rehman, Faisal Karim Kundi and others conducted a press conference in which they demanded the speedy trial of the accused involved in ‘blasphemy’ and ‘riots’ in Jaranwala that took place on August 16.

Nayyar Bukhari said that the government is making efforts to arrest the culprits and rehabilitation of the affectees of the Jaranwala incident. He added that he cannot immediately comment on the government’s performance.

READ: Jaranwala incident: Punjab IG see RAW’s hand behind

He said that a ‘speedy trial’ of the accused must be conducted who were behind the blasphemy and riots. He urged to penalise the culprits in the Jaranwala incident.

Sherry Rehman said that the Christian community should be assisted besides expressing solidarity. She said that the groups involved in violent incidents had committed unconstitutional acts.

The PPP leader said that Pakistan is also the country of the Christian community and they must be given maximum protection. She clarified that discrimination and riots are terrorism.

READ: Jaranwala tragedy: CM Naqvi says efforts underway to restore churches, Christians’ homes

Sherry Rehman added that the attacks on the Christian community are tantamount to attacking the state, state writ and state reputation.

A PPP delegation including Sherry Rehman, Nayyar Bukhari, Faisal Karim Kundi, Nadeem Afzal Chan and Malaika Raza visited Jaranwala today and met the affected families.

The Jaranwala police had registered terror cases against more than 600 people on August 17 for “vandalising 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 after entering them and torched Christians’ homes and the church building”.

The FIR invoked sections 7(1)(d), 7(1)(j), 7(1)(g) and 7(1)(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

It also invoked sections 148, 149, 153A, 186, 295, 295A, 324, 353, 427, 436 and 452 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The FIR also included sections 5 and 6 of the Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) Act 2015.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government also ordered the formation of a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the incident, in line with directives issued by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq.