Political leadership and civil society representatives of Pakistan condemned the burning of churches incident in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad on Wednesday.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted he was horrified to hear about the attack on Churches in Jaranwala, Faisalabad.
Bilawal said, “Violating the sanctity of places of worship is unacceptable. The administration must ensure the safety of the Christian community and their Churches.”
Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said what is happening in Jaranwala is sad and disturbing.
“There is no place for violence in any religion,” he tweeted.
PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif said that all religious places, Books, and personages are sacred and deserve our highest level of respect.
“I urge the government to take action against the culprits. I also appeal to Ulama, Mashaykh, and religious scholars from all schools of thought to come forward and condemn the reprehensible actions. Such madness can’t be allowed. Pakistan belongs to all religious minorities,” he said.
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak took to Twitter and said condemned the Jaranwala incident.
“Pakistani state has failed to provide security to the worship places of people who follow religions other than Islam. Impunity to the crimes committed in the name of religion has emboldened extremists and terrorists. Bring the culprits to book,” he said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that mob-led assault on Christian families and their homes and sites of worship in Jaranwala, Faisalabad, following allegations of blasphemy, must be condemned in no uncertain terms.
The rights body said the frequency and scale of such attacks—which are systematic, violent, and often uncontainable appear to have increased in recent years.
“Not only has the state failed to protect its religious minorities, but it has also allowed the far right to permeate and fester within society and politics. Both the perpetrators and instigators of this violence must be identified and punished to the full extent of the law.”
“The government must waste no time in raising and equipping special police forces to protect religious minorities’ sites of worship as directed by the 2014 Supreme Court judgment,” the HRCP statement read.
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the violent incidents in Jaranwala Faisalabad. She said attacks on religions and religious places of worship are not acceptable in any way.
“The Pakistani state is bound to provide equal rights and protection to minorities. Provocation and extremism are not in favor of anyone. I demand the Punjab government and administration to bring all the characters behind this heinous act to justice,” she said.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sinjrani condemned the incident and appealed to protestors to remain peaceful.
PPP senator Farhatullah Babar said that distressing reports of the desecration of the church in Jaranwala in Faisalabad on social media. Reportedly churches were burnt, Bibles desecrated and Christians tortured. “Silence of administration deafening. Come out clean, dispense justice, ensure safety and security of citizens, protect worship places,” he said.
