Shahbaz announces all-out help for Joseph Colony affectees

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab, Sahbaz Sharif Saturday issued orders for the immediate arrest the Joesph Colony arsonists/plunderers who ran riot in the Christian neighborhood after alleged blasphemy reports, Geo News reported.

“No one, who even has a slightest hand in the rampage that left hundreds of Christian homes inhabitable and valuables worth millions of rupees burnt beyond recognition, will be spared”, said a grave looking Shahbaz Sharif addressing media here.

He said Punjab law minister, Rana Sanaullah, would lead a committee constituted to look into the matter, adding, however a judicial inquiry had also been planned.

“We will delve deep to get to the bottom of this heinous hate-crime. Those who incited people into perpetrating this rampage will be brought to the dock”, said he.

On top of announcing Rs200,000 each for those whose homes were torched, he also pledged to rebuild the damaged buildings.

“A relief camp will be set up in the affected area to provide utmost assistance to the affectees”, he added.

It is pertinent to mention that the DSP and SHO of the stationhouse of the area have been suspended.

Earlier, thousands of angry protesters on Saturday set ablaze more than 178 houses/shops of Christians over a blasphemy row in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, officials said.

Over 3,000 protesters turned violent over derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) allegedly made by Sawan Masih, a 28-year-old Christian, three days earlier, police official Multan Khan said.

The exact number of houses in Joseph Colony, a Christian neighbourhood in Badami Bagh area, is not immediately known but police and rescue officials said they belonged to lower-to-middle-class families from the minority community.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf have ordered an immediate inquiry into the attacks.

"Police arrested Masih, a sanitary worker, who also ran a one-table snooker club, was arrested on Friday night while the incident actually happened on Wednesday evening," the police told an international news wire.

He said that the arrest was made when Masih's barber friend Shahid Imran complained that he had made blasphemous remarks about Prophet Mohammed, adding that Christians had fled the area on Friday evening, fearing a backlash.

Protesters began to assemble in the area on Saturday morning and later set on fire houses and other items including furniture, crockery, auto rickshaws, bicycles and motorbikes belonging to local Christians.

"Thick clouds of smoke engulfed the small houses, mostly consisting of one or two rooms, and many of them looked like parts of charred walls," said an eyewitness.

Police said protesters burnt 25 houses but Dr Ahmad Raza, in-charge of local rescue operations, and the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) put the number at more than 100.

"At least 160 houses, 18 shops and two small churches were burnt by protesters," Raza, who was busy in rescue operations in the area, told the foreign news agency.

Police baton-charged the protesters to disperse them from the neighbourhood. There was no loss of life reported during the violence but 20 policemen were slightly injured during clashes, officials said.

Footages of violence from the scene showed many masked members of the mob damaging or burning down the households.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf have both ordered an investigation into the violence.

"President Zardari called for a report into this unfortunate incident and said such acts of vandalism against minorities tarnish the image of the country," his spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement.

Prime Minister Ashraf also ordered an "expeditious inquiry and measures to stop recurrence of such incidents in future", his office said in a statement.

Later, Punjab law minister, Rana Sanaullah, also visited the ravaged Joseph Colony amid anti-Punjab government protests.

“I assure you all the hooligans who vandalized, arsonized, and pillaged your houses and businesses will be taken to the task tonight”, said he talking to the victims who lost their homes as well as lifesavings.

Christian community across Pakistan took to protest over the tragic incident which left so many homeless as well as deprived of their lifesaving.

Reports from Karachi said Christians staged protest in the Esa Nagri area condemning the devastation their community members were subjected to in Lahore. Police resorted to aerial firing and baton-charge to break the protest demonstrations.

Christians also came out of their houses in Multan and Sargodha to show solidarity with their community members condemning the incident as well as demanding security for themselves.

Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population is Muslim, and allegations of insulting a religious figure prompt violent outbursts of public anger, even when unproven.