November 29, 2024
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
The Christian community from Faisalabad called a meeting to discuss the Jaranwala incident that took place in 2023, and criticized the approach that the government had been taking towards the investigation and prosecution of the accused. A White Paper which had been released earlier this year in August, was also discussed.
They said that a year had passed, and even though there had been 22 FIRs registered against the miscreants involved in the violence, where ‘26 churches were burned’, and hundreds of houses destroyed, no action had been taken against anyone. In fact those nominated in the FIRs had been released.
Ijaz Alam Augustine, the former Minister for Human Rights, Minority Affairs & Interfaith Harmony (Punjab) spoke to Voicepk in this regard and said that the caretaker government of the time had given a written report in the Supreme Court saying that there had been five to six thousand terrorists who had created havoc in the area by setting fire to houses, properties and churches.
“This was the government’s own narrative,” said Augustine. “However we are seeing that out of these 300 of the nominated people were arrested, and all of them were eventually let go. Only one of them is in prison facing terror charges. Where are the rest?”
Augustine expressed his dismay at the way the rights of the Christian community had been set aside by the government and the courts.
“It is the government’s job to do the investigation and the prosecution, is it not?” he questioned. “But no action was taken, no investigation was done. People lost their assets and belongings – things were burnt and robbed but there was no forensic done.”
He was also distressed over the fact that in other such incidents where the minority community had faced attacks, including in the case of one elderly Christian man in Sargodha who had been beaten to death, there was also no prosecution done.
“All of them have been released, even in the case of Nazir Masih,” he said. “The murderers who lynched him have not been charged, arrested or prosecuted.”
Augustine added that they would try and submit a resolution in the Punjab assembly soon, and at present they were viewing the best possible option for ensuring that justice was delivered in a ‘legal and constitutional’ way.
Meanwhile Lala Robin, a prominent activist from Faisalabad also condemned the way the case was being handled.
Robin had the same complaints that not one person had been prosecuted, and that all those who had been nominated had been acquitted.
“We have no expectation from the justice system,” he said angrily. “The situation in Jaranwala is such that when the residents talk about justice, they are told not to think about it. Police has not bothered to investigate the incident from the very beginning. People’s houses were not only burnt, their belongings were also robbed. Around 90 per cent of the houses were robbed. Yet not one case is being followed.”
Robin said that the research teams that had come forward to get information did not do enough.
“They come, they meet one or two families, talk to a couple of others and thing their work is done,” said Robin. “The fact is there is a lot more to see, to think of. there are more things to witness when it comes to doing your research around the incident. Why don’t they ask us and we will take them to see and then they can tally their information with that of the government run NCHR?”
He said Jaranwala was a working-class neighborhood and many of the residents were turned out from their jobs, since after the incident only because of discriminative practices.
“We (Christian activists) have done in depth research and calculated the losses from at least 80 percent of the homes,” he said, inviting research teams from human rights organizations to come forward and work with them.
WHITE PAPER
A short survey conducted among the residents of Jaranwala gave a clear indication of their thoughts and feelings of living in Jaranwala.
The White Paper that was released in August examined the background of the incident as well as the repercussions and impact.
Background
According to details provided by the White Paper, on 16 August 2023, at 5:30 am, riots broke out at Christian Colony Cinema Chowk after two brothers were accused of blasphemy.
A meeting of an unknown peace committee was held at Jaranwala City police station at around 8 am. Upon learning of this meeting, Father Khalid Mukhtar and Shakeel Bhatti arrived at the police station, but the committee members did not include them in the meeting, instead threatened them to accept that the two brothers were criminals.
The Paper questioned who was in the committee that made such decisions.
It also questioned why the Christian Colony quickly emptied by nine a.m. ‘Why and how were the campaigns carried out at 26 places by 11 am?’
Christians were conveniently driven out of their homes and from morning till night, their homes and churches were looted and burned without any inhibitions. It has been questioned who began this entire campaign started and who started it, despite the fact that Father Khalid Mukhtar contacted Bishop House Faisalabad and informed about the situation and appealed for help. On August 16 at 8 am, Father Khalid Rashid Asi and Lala Robin Daniel contacted Intelligence Bureau and informed them that the situation was serious. However, they were told that the situation was ‘under control’.
The White Paper questions, if the looting that took place after the Jaranwala incident, be called revenge?
It specifies that their Muslim neighbours, were equally aggrieved and took extreme risks to protect the lives and property of the Christians and give them shelter.
There were announcements on the alleged blasphemy charges made not only from one place, but at from places.
Other questions asked in the White Paper were:
- At what time did the SHO, the city police and the president inform the CPO and RPO about the seriousness of the situation?
- What steps were taken?
- When did the information reach the IG Punjab, the Home Secretary and the government?
- The evidence of the crime was there till the next two days, but none was collected, why?
- There is no mention of police witnesses for any investigation and identification of the accused? This contradicts earlier statements by the police which claim that they saw the incident.
- The police have about 3300 footages and the Punjab government admitted in the report sent to the Supreme Court that the presence of 5 to 6 thousand miscreants was found. Till today, about 300 people have been arrested and all except one have been released on bail. Why and on whose orders were they acquitted from the cases?
- no cases were registered over the homes and office being vandalized, the gas and electricity meters being broken and burned, even the live animals were burned, dogs were shot, animals were stolen, according to the White Paper.
- In addition, 1023 applications for looting and vandalism were submitted to AC City by the victims. Why are they still pending?
- Immediate arrangements should be made for compensation for financial losses.
- Around 86 people were paid an unspecified amount of Rs 2 million by the government, while the number of houses and residences is high and the victims are still helpless. The tenants were completely ignored. The Punjab government had promised that all the losses would be compensated. While this was not done?
- After the tragedy, Christians were dismissed from private jobs and are still unemployed.
- Cases were registered against Christians in two places for not being willing to settle the cases. The plaintiffs of the cases were subjected to mental and physical torture. The attitude of the investigating officers and the courts was deplorable.
The Supreme Court took suo motu action and Chief Justice Faez Isa visited Jaranwala along with his wife. In the suo motu notice, the Chief Justice held a single hearing and remarked that the investigation procedure was flawed and should be thrown in the trash. After that, no one had the courage to take the notice to its logical conclusion.
The silence of the government agencies, including the Commission, has further frightened the Christians. Around 17 serious incidents have occurred against Christians in Punjab, but no miscreant or terrorist has been punished.
We demand the Punjab IG and the Punjab Prosecution General to bring the facts to light. The Punjab IG should answer the justification for the acquittal of the accused and the non-arrest of the other accused. Political and social pressure should be brought to light. This terrorism and extremism must be made visible for all to see.
We demand a change of investigation in all cases. We cannot rely solely on police investigation, the Ministry of Human Rights, or the Federal Ministry of Law.