JARANWALA: The government has repaired over 20 churches damaged during a mob attack in August against a Christian community in Jaranwala and disbursed two million rupees each to affected families, officials said on Thursday.
The mob assault, the worst case of communal violence in decades, broke out in Jaranwala city on August 16 after two Christians were accused of desecrating the Holy Qur’an.
On the invitation of Caretaker CM Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, a delegation of foreign journalists visited tehsil Jaranwala a day earlier. Faisalabad Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Nayyer Sheikh and CPO Muhammad Ali Zia welcomed the delegation.
“In all, nearly 22 churches were affected and the government has spent over Rs124 million [$443,649] to restore them all,” Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh, deputy commissioner of Faisalabad, said.
Faisalabad’s City Police Officer (CPO), Captain (retired) Muhammad Ali Zia, said a dedicated team headed by a senior official was now investigating the case, in which over 300 people had been arrested to date.
“Twenty-two FIRs [police complaints] have been registered for these churches and more than 300 people have been arrested so far,” he said, adding that a well-manned police contingent was deployed in the area to prevent further violence.
In August, days after the attack, Mohsin Naqvi, the chief minister in Punjab province where Jaranwala is located, had announced that families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the mob would each get Rs2 million, or around $7,000, in compensation.
Deputy Commissioner Sheikh said 80 families had been compensated. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar had also visited Jaranwala on August 21 to express solidarity with the Christian community, and distributed cheques to some of the affected households.
