Following a severe attack on their community a year ago, Christians in Lahore, Pakistan, are persistently seeking justice concerning the Jaranwala riots. Most of the detained individuals have been released on bond or granted bail.
On Aug. 16, 2023, a mob of thousands of Muslims looted and vandalized over 25 churches and 85 Christian homes in Jaranwala following accusations against two Christian brothers for blasphemy and Quran desecration.
The entire country expressed its disapproval of the attack.
Chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, Attorney Akmal Bhatti, revealed that out of the 300+ arrested, only around a dozen are prosecuted in an anti-terrorism court.
Bhatti from Faisalabad informed Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that most suspects were released on bail or acquitted because of faulty police investigation.
The attorney and political figure claims that the denial of justice to Christians is an insult to Pakistan’s constitution, which provides security and protection for religious minorities.
He stated that the Jaranwala incident serves as a powerful reminder of the struggles encountered by religious minorities in Pakistan. The government’s inability to prosecute the offenders highlights its lack of commitment to safeguarding religious minorities from future acts of violence.
Out of 5,213 suspects, Amnesty International discovered that 380 were apprehended, leaving 4,833 still on the loose.
Police learned that 228 suspects received bail, and 77 had their charges dropped through a request for information obtained through a right to information.
About 40% of victims who lost property are still waiting for government compensation, according to Amnesty, and suspects’ trials have not yet begun.
Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for South Asia, Babu Ram Pant, stated that the authorities’ assurances of accountability have failed to prevent a climate of impunity for the perpetrators of the Jaranwala violence.
Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan, and those found guilty of insulting Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, can be sentenced to death.
While authorities have yet to carry out death sentences for blasphemy, often, the accusation alone can spark riots and incite mobs to violence.
The two Christian brothers in Jaranwala had the blasphemy accusations against them withdrawn earlier this year.
They were ultimately vindicated when an anti-terrorism court discovered that their false accusations were a result of a personal disagreement with another Christian.
Antagonism
Two Christian residents of Jaranwala said that area Christians continued to face intimidation and exclusion after the Aug. 16, 2023 attacks.
“The situation has worsened as our Muslim neighbors and other people have stopped talking or doing business with us,” Salim Masih told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “I used to run a tailoring shop and had three or four Muslim apprentices, but after the incident, my Muslim landlord told me to vacate the shop, and my staff also refused to work under me.”
He mentioned that his family’s financial support has been affected, with only a fraction of the previous orders coming in after the attacks.
Resident Yaqub Gill said he was one complainant in the 17 private cases filed by Christians and five registered by the state.
“Local Muslims constantly threatened me to withdraw my complaint,” Gill said. “I informed the police, but instead of taking action against those people, they framed me in a fake case.”
Christian residents are hard-pressed following the attacks, he said.
According to Gill, several staff members at nearby factories lost their jobs after the incident.
According to him, Christians received threats to drop their legal cases shortly after the police crackdown from members of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
“Due to the threats, many Christians refused to stand as witnesses in court, leading to bail for the suspects,” he said.
Salman Farooq of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that Younis Machhi, who announced on the mosque’s loudspeaker for people to gather, was among those bailed out in recent months.
“There’s clear video evidence of Younis Machhi inciting the people to attack Christians, yet he too has walked free on bail,” Farooq said.
“Almost all those freed from custody have been hailed as heroes on their return.”
A fact-finding visit to Jaranwala found many Christians complaining of police detention and torture, Farooq said.
In addition, the families have not undergone full rehabilitation, and although the government promised compensation, not all households have benefited because some homes house multiple families, making it impossible for the less powerful members to claim the money.
He said that when they go to the local administration, they need help.
He endorsed the claims of the two Christians that social relations between the Christian and Muslim communities soured after the Jaranwala attacks.
According to Farooq, Christian employees in Tehsil and Faisalabad factories are facing job terminations. “Children are also experiencing discrimination in schools. It’s a troubling situation.”
Church leaders and rights activists say that the government’s failure to implement a 2014 landmark judgment by former Chief Justice Tassaduq Jillani has left religious minority communities vulnerable to repeated acts of violence and persecution.
“The Jaranwala incident questions the effectiveness and enforcement of legal protections for minorities,” said Church of Pakistan President Bishop Azad Marshall.
He added that the state could have prevented the attacks in Jaranwala and other places if it had fully implemented Jillani’s recommendations.
The judgment condemned violence against minorities and laid out comprehensive recommendations to protect minority rights and promote religious tolerance. These included creating a special police force for protecting places of worship, establishing a National Council for Minorities’ Rights, and reforming educational curricula to foster religious harmony.
Although these recommendations are urgent, implementation must be more active and thorough.
Continuous efforts are needed to strengthen security at places of worship, and implementing a dedicated special police force, as envisioned in the Jillani judgment, remains pending.
The senior church leader regretted that the Punjab government stonewalled his demand for accountability from the police and the administration.
“We filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the incident and hold the negligent officials accountable, but the provincial government fiercely opposed it,” Marshall said.
Our fears of the suspects not facing prosecution have become a reality.
He emphasized the need for immediate and decisive government action, considering the rising threats posed by extremist groups such as Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.
“The path forward for Pakistan involves not just the protection of minority rights but also the promotion of an inclusive and tolerant society where all citizens can live without fear of persecution,” Marshall said.
“The stakes are high, and the consequences of inaction could be dire. Pakistan must act now to ensure a future where all its citizens can live peacefully and harmoniously.”
In 2023 alone, the Centre for Social Justice reported a minimum of 193 attacks on minorities, encompassing assaults on individuals, properties, and places of worship. An increase in blasphemy cases has seen at least 350 persons behind bars in Punjab Province as of June, of which 103 were accused of blasphemy since January, according to the center.
There has also been an upsurge in killings related to blasphemy allegations in the past two years.
According to the report, private individuals killed at least six people in 2023 after blasphemy accusations. Along with two extrajudicial killings, another three persons accused of blasphemy died in jail between June 2023 and 2024.
Thus, 11 persons accused of blasphemy have lost their lives in the past 18 months, it stated.
Pakistan maintained its seventh-place ranking on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List as one of the most challenging places to be a Christian, mirroring its position from the previous year.