SC rejects Punjab government's report on Joseph Colony

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected the Punjab government’s report on Joseph Colony incident in Lahore's Badami Bagh area.

A three-member bench hearing the suo moto case rejected the report because it did not mention the reasons behind the incident or what action had been taken against the perpetrators.

The initial report of the incident was presented by the advocate general, according to which compensation had been paid to the victims of Joseph Colony.

The Chief Justice remarked that providing compensation was the government's responsibility and asked why precautionary measures were not taken if there was information pertaining to the attack.

The Chief Justice said the IG should leave his post if he is not aware of developments. The Chief Justice further said that the IG, CCPO and SP City had failed to provide security to citizens.

The court also expressed its anger over the failure to appoint a permanent IG in Punjab. The advocate general informed the court that despite a request the federal government had not appointed a permanent IG.

The court questioned why the police were not conducting a proper investigation and if there were any honest officers in the Punjab police.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that whenever there is an attack on minorities, the Punjab government does not budge. He asked the advocate general who the owner of the land was and why residents of the area were forced to vacate. The Chief Justice added that the landowner should have approached the court. He also asked under whose directives was the area vacated.

Justice Azmat Saeed remarked that residents were being forced to vacate their homes three miles from the IG office. Justice Saeed asked if the IG had received information about the incident.

Justice Gulzar Ahmad remarked that the police was a silent spectator during the mob attack.

The advocate general informed the court that according to the initial report this was not a land grabbing case, adding that the mob attack took place due to an alleged blasphemy.

The Chief Justice observed that the sanctity of Holy Prophet (PBUH) was supreme and action should be taken according to the existing blasphemy law.

The court also summoned the report of the Gojra incident and asked why the findings were not made public. The court also cited protests in Quetta as a yardstick for how protests should be held. The protest during the Rimsha Masih case was also cited.

The hearing of the case has been adjourned till March 13.

Over 100 homes in the Christian neighbourhood were ransacked and set ablaze by an angry mob on March 9 after an individual from the area was accused of blasphemy.