“The events that unfolded were tragic. Such violence is never justified,” Anwar told AFP, adding that he would travel to Jaranwala on Sunday to show solidarity with the Christian community.
Anwar said he personally interrogated two Christians accused of desecrating the Koran to “avoid torture charges”.
Police guarded 3,200 churches in Punjab on Friday to ensure the safety of the Christian community, Anwar said.
Several hundred Christians were forced to flee their homes in Jaranwala on Wednesday as angry mobs rampaged through the city’s streets, burning houses and churches.
Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in ultra-conservative Pakistan, where anyone accused of insulting Islam or representatives of Islam can be sentenced to death.
Christians, who make up about two percent of the population, occupy one of the lowest ranks in Pakistani society and are often the subject of false and unfounded accusations of blasphemy.
2023-08-18 16:00:48
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