Supreme Court’s Justice Qazi Faiz Isa has condemned the Jaranwala incident saying that Pakistan’s Constitution and law were trampled by burning down the Christians’ dwellings and churches as white colour in our flag guarantees the protection of the rights of minorities, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
In a statement during his visit to Jaranwala on Saturday, Chief Justice of Pakistan-designate Justice Qazi Faez Isa said that an unruly crowd of misguided people burnt down many churches and Christian houses. He said that he was shocked and saddened to know about the incident as a Muslim and a Pakistani. Those who vandalized the churches have violated the orders of the Holy Quran.
The Supreme Court judge said that attacks on churches are a blatant violation of the clear instructions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the exemplary character of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (Khulfa-e-Rashidin). This violation of Islamic Shariah cannot be justified by any revenge or retribution.
Justice Isa said that this action of some misguided elements is also a violation of the guarantee given to the minorities by the Founder of Pakistan. He said that Pakistan’s Constitution and law was trampled. He said that the white colour in the national flag ensures the protection of the rights of minorities.
The Constitution of Pakistan provides full religious freedom to minorities, the judge said adding that the violation of the Constitution is considered high treason.
He held that it is the duty of every Muslim to protect the lives and property of the believers of other religions.
He called upon the authorities to make every possible effort to compensation for the damage caused to the victims.
Punishment for offending someone's religious feelings is 10 years imprisonment and fine, Justice Isa warned.
Earlier, Justice Qazi Faez Isa visited Jaranwala and reviewed the situation, arising out of recent riots in the city following allegation of desecration of the holy Quran.
Accompanied by his wife, Justice Isa talked to victims of the violence besides visiting the homes and churches burnt down by angry mobs.
Speaking on the occasion, the judge, who will take oath as the chief justice of Pakistan next month, said he was saddened to see all this.
On August 16 last, the entire nation was shocked to hear reports of armed mobs going wild and attacking at least two churches in Jarranwala accusing two Christian residents of blasphemy.
Videos on social media showed hundreds of people attacking the Salvation Army Church and the Saint Paul Catholic Church and later setting them ablaze, while another mob attacked private homes, torching them and breaking windows.
The mobs even ransacked and torched residences of the people belonging to the Christian community as well as the office of the local assistant commissioner, prompting the district administration to impose section 144 for seven days in order to prevent further violence.
Later, the Punjab government issued directions to form a high-level committee to investigate the incident, in line with orders issued by the caretaker prime minister.
Mosques probed over protest call
A Muslim cleric is among a dozen people being investigated for using mosque loudspeakers to order protests against alleged blasphemy by Christians which erupted into mob violence in Pakistan earlier this week, a senior police official said.
More than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches were vandalised when hundreds rampaged through a Christian neighbourhood in Jaranwala in Punjab on Wednesday.
Reports that Holy Quran had been desecrated were broadcast from mosques, with one cleric telling his followers it was "Better to die if you don't care about Islam".
"That cleric should have understood that when you gather people in such a charged environment... in a country in which people were already very sensitive about (blasphemy) it is like adding fuel to fire," Punjab police chief Usman Anwar told AFP during an interview in Lahore on Friday.
"He's not saying that go and burn their houses. But when the mob gathers, it's really impossible to control that."
He said the cleric was one of 12 people who were being investigated for using mosque loudspeakers, while more than 125 people have been arrested linked to the vandalism that followed, thanks to the use of facial recognition technology, mobile phone geo-fencing and data gathered from social media.
At its peak, more than 5,000 people had poured into the neighbourhood from other districts, with smaller mobs spreading to narrow alleys where they ransacked homes.
Christians who fled in their hundreds have criticised police for failing to protect their property, with some sheltered by their Muslim neighbours.
"If police had started baton charging, or attacking (the mob) or tear gassing that would have resulted in multiple injuries or deaths. And that is what we were avoiding at that time. That would have aggravated the situation that would have spread in all the country," Anwar said.
Negotiations with religious leaders led to calls for calm, he added.
- Thousands of churches guarded -
Two Christian brothers have been arrested for blasphemy, after torn pages of the Holy Quran with offensive words scrawled across them were stuck to the walls of a mosque in Jaranwala in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Anwar said he personally interrogated the pair to avoid the possibility of accusations of torture.
On Friday, 3,200 churches were guarded by police across Punjab province to provide reassurance to the Christian community, Anwar said, adding that he would travel to Jaranwala Sunday to show solidarity.
Anwar said that while the anger towards blasphemy may be justified, the violent reactions were not, describing the scenes in Jaranwala as "tragic".
He said it was the role of clerics and the government to ensure that religion was not misused. "The most important thing is that we, the Muslims, in this country, are going to become more tolerant. Once we are given the true message of Islam, that is the role of the government," he said.
Reporter Amanat Gishkori
With inputs from AFP.