One year after one the worst attacks on Pakistani Christians, believers in the country on Aug. 16 called for justice regarding the rioting in Jaranwala as most of those arrested have been discharged or released on bail, Morning Star New reported.
More than 25 churches and 85 homes of Christians in Jaranwala were ransacked and looted on Aug. 16, 2023 by a frenzied mob of thousands of Muslims after two Christian brothers were accused of writing blasphemous content and desecrating the Quran. The attack drew nationwide condemnation.
RELATED: For more stories on the persecuted church, click here.
Only a dozen suspects of the more than 300 people arrested are facing trials in an anti-terrorism court, said the chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, attorney Akmal Bhatti.
“A majority of the suspects have either been bailed out or were discharged from the cases due to defective police investigation,” Bhatti told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News from Faisalabad.
‘Stark reminder’
The attorney and political leader said denying justice to Christians made a mockery of Pakistan’s constitution, which guarantees security and protection to religious minorities.
“The Jaranwala incident is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan,” he said. “The government’s failure to bring the perpetrators to justice shows its [lack of] interest in protecting religious minorities from future violence.”
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Morning Star News.
