Jakarta -Police in Pakistan said that as many as 87 houses of Christian residents and 19 churches were damaged in the riots alleged to be blasphemy in Pakistan. Police said a Muslim mob rampaged through the streets and ransacked neighborhoods in the city of Jaranwala, Punjab province.
Reported by AFP, Friday (18/8/2023), hundreds of Pakistan’s Christian minority group reportedly fled their homes when a crowd of angry Muslim men ransacked a neighborhood in Jaranwala City. They also burned houses and churches.
“What happened is tragic. Violence like this can never be justified,” Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar told AFP.
Anwar said he personally interrogated two Christian brothers accused of desecrating the Koran. This, he said, was to avoid accusations of torture.
“(The examination) is to avoid accusations of torture,” he said.
Police say they have arrested 128 people linked to the rampage. Police said the rampage resulted in 87 houses being damaged in the Christian neighborhood and items strewn on the streets.
Hundreds of angry masses were ordered by Muslim clerics to protest against religious blasphemy. Appeals were sounded over the mosque’s loudspeakers to spread the word about the accusations.
Source : Detik.com
