|
Amnesty International on Friday condemned Pakistan for its treatment of religious minorities, particularly after the Jaranwala incident where 26 churches were burnt by a mob.
The report released by the human rights watchdog commemorating the completion of one year of Pakistan's Jaranwala incident highlights that over 90 per cent of the suspects are still at large and trials have not started, leaving the Christian community in fear. In a post on 'X' Amnesty International stated, "It has been a year since the arson and attacks on churches and Christian neighbourhoods in #Jaranwala, Pakistan. The victims continue to live in fear as the perpetrators of mob violence continue to evade accountability." https://x.com/amnestysasia/status/1824294668362027053 The report lamented the Pakistani administration for failing to deliver justice for the minority Christian community and prevent further misuse of blasphemy laws. More than 90 per cent of the suspects of the attack in Jaranwala, in Punjab's Faisalabad district, are still at large, said Amnesty International quoting a Right to Information Request filed at the Faisalabad City Police Office. Many are still awaiting government compensation and face continued threats and marginalization. Amnesty International urged the Pakistan government to ensure justice and protect minority groups. The Amnesty International report also stated, that the trials of those arrested in connection with the attacks, triggered by false allegations of blasphemy against two Christian residents, are yet to start and around 40 per cent of the minority Christian families affected by the violence are still awaiting government compensation. "Despite the authorities' assurances of accountability, the grossly inadequate action has allowed a climate of impunity for the perpetrators of the Jaranwala violence. A year on, the minority Christian community is being forced to reconcile with the fact that their aggressors continue to live amongst them without repercussions. Pakistan government must ensure that justice is delivered and minority groups are protected against discrimination and violence," said Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for South Asia. On 3 August 2024, a Right to Information Request filed at the City Police Office Faisalabad, indicates that of the 5,213 accused, 380 were arrested with 4,833 still at large. Of those arrested, 228 are now out on bail granted by the Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad and 77 had the charges against them dropped, the same report claimed. While elaborating on the continued marginalisation of the religious minorities in Pakistan the Amnesty International report mentioned that many have lost their jobs due to heightened tensions that have also affected businesses and public life in the city. Frightened Christian families continue to face threats from perpetrators of the violence who were released over the last year. Some Christian families have even migrated to neighbouring cities, while the religious leaders who incited the mob still roam free and continue to exercise influence in the area. The same report quoted a statement by Khalida Bano, a Christian woman from Jaranwala stating, "We saw our houses in complete shambles, like the building would soon collapse. To date, we have received no support. It has been a year, and my husband is unemployed because no one hired him (due to stigma). Many people received the promised compensation of 2 million rupees or USD 7,200, but we did not receive it," Samuel Payara, the lead petitioner for the Christian community in cases related to the Jaranwala attacks at the Supreme Court, described a culture of impunity for violence against religious minorities. He stated "Despite the police accusing thousands for the mob violence, only about 400 were arrested. Of those, most roam free. Even more alarming is that the individual who incited the mob using a mosque's loudspeaker has also been granted bail, and some groups are harassing victims to prevent them from participating in the cases [as witnesses]." There appears to be a double standard in Pakistan's legal system's response to such incidents. While trials against those accused of the mob violence in Jaranwala have not started, a 27-year-old Christian man was sentenced to death in July 2024 by an anti-terrorism court for causing the riots in Jaranwala through an allegedly blasphemous video on TikTok. He was charged under sections 295-C and 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code which deals with blasphemy, section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Section 7(1)(g) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the report by Amnesty International claimed. (ANI)
|
