LAHORE: Authorities in Pakistan have arrested around 135 people in connection with the unprecedented mob attack on 21 churches in Punjab province even as the government on Thursday ordered a high-level probe into the riots over blasphemy allegations.
Scores of churches and houses belonging to Christians in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad district, some 130 km from the provincial capital, were burnt down on Wednesday by a mob enraged over reports that two Christians had desecrated the Quran.
According to the Punjab government, around 135 people, including activists of the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), have been taken into custody. “A case has been registered against 600 suspects under terrorism and blasphemy charges,” Punjab’s caretaker information minister Amir Mir stated.
He said peace had been restored in the area and a heavy contingent of police and Rangers deployed outside churches and houses of the Christian community.
All educational institutions, markets and business establishments remained closed in Jaranwala on Thursday.
Mohsin Naqvi, caretaker chief minister of Punjab province, promised restoration within three to four days of all the damaged churches and the houses of Christians. Condemning the mob violence, Naqvi said such actions were against the teachings of Islam and those of the Holy Prophet.
He said the mob attack was a “planned conspiracy” to “light a fire in the country and sabotage its peace,” a media report stated.