Lahore: The government in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Thursday constituted a high-powered Joint Investigation Team (JIT) team to probe the recent unprecedented mob attacks on churches and homes of Christians.
The Punjab Home Department constituted a six-member JIT a week after the incident took place in which 21 churches and 86 houses were burnt down by the mob allegedly led by members of the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
“In exercise of powers conferred under section 19 (I) Anti Terrorism Act 1997, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is hereby constituted to conduct and finalise investigation in FIRs of Jaranawala incident,” Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Ahmad said in a notification.
The JIT comprising six members is headed by SSP Anti-Terrorism Court (CTD) Punjab police.
“The head of the JIT shall depute one of the members of the JIT for the purpose of submission of the report (at the earliest),” the notification said.
Pakistani authorities have arrested over 200 people including the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists in connection with the attacks on churches over blasphemy allegations in Jaranwala town of Faisalabad district, 130 km from Punjab’s provincial capital Lahore.
A Christian cemetery and the office of the local assistant commissioner were also vandalised.
“We have arrested some 60 more suspects after which the number of total arrested crossed 200 in the Jaranwala incident. The arrests have been made through video footage,” Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar said on Wednesday. He said the police would present all kinds of evidence before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) to convict them.
“We will set an example through this case,” he said.
On the other hand, the caretaker Punjab government could not live up to its promise of restoring all damaged churches by early this week.
“No restoration work at the damaged churches has begun as yet,” Pakistan Centre for Law and Justice Napoleon Qayyum told PTI.
He further complained that only a handful of Christians whose homes were damaged in the violence have received the cheques for the compensation amount.
“A good number of Christian families are waiting to get the compensation amount which the government had promised,” Qayyum said.
“Besides, the government has also not made arrangements for food and lodging of the affected Christians,” he said, adding that the Christian organisations are helping the affected people.
The Punjab government has announced a compensation amount of Rs 2 million each to 94 Christian families to help them rebuild their houses and lives.
According to Christian leaders, at least 200 houses have been damaged in the violence and all should be given compensation.
Meanwhile, leaders from other religions and sects, as well as political and religious parties, have issued a joint declaration, demanding the federal and Punjab governments reconstruct the damaged churches and houses of the Christian community in Jaranawala.
The Interfaith Harmony Conference’ also demanded the government punish the perpetrators of the Jaranwala tragedy and conduct an impartial investigation.
The joint declaration noted that a committee comprising Muslim and Christian leaders should look into the tragedy.
It said the leadership of all relevant religions should cooperate with the authorities in the investigation and the outcome of the report should be made public.
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