450 booked, 25 arrested in Pakistan after mob attacks Christian community

Police in Pakistan's Punjab province on Sunday booked over 450 people and arrested 25 of them under terrorism and other charges for attacking members of the minority Christian community and police personnel on the issue of the alleged desecration of a religious book.

An enraged mob led by radical Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists on Saturday attacked the Christian community members in Mujahid Colony, Sargodha district of Punjab, some 200 kms from Lahore, and injured two Christians and 10 policemen. The mob burned and ransacked the homes and properties of Christians.

According to the FIR, over 450 people, 50 of them are nominated, surrounded the residence and shoe factory of Nazir Masih (an elderly Christian) accusing him of desecration of the religious book.

The mob set fire to the shoe factory, some shops and a couple of houses. "It also brutally torched Masih but timely arrival of a heavy contingent of police saved the life of Masih and 10 other members of the Christian community," the FIR says.

Although the family of Masih denied desecration of the religious book but the mob wanted to lynch him.

"The enraged mob pelted stones at police personnel when they resorted to baton charge to disperse it. At least 10 policemen including officers have been injured," it says.

A police statement said: “There was no loss of life in the mob attack. More than 10 police officers and personnel have been injured due to stone pelting by the angry people. The police risked their lives to rescue the families and pulled them out of the crowd. Thanks to the timely action of the police, Sargodha is spared a great tragedy." "The situation in the city is completely peaceful and under control," it said.

It added that the injured Christian, Nazir, has been shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Sargodha for treatment. Police said that a case will be instituted against Nazir if he is found guilty of desecration of the religious book.

The Punjab police said currently over 2,000 policemen have been deployed in Sargodha Mujahid Colony to maintain law and order.

On Saturday, a number of video clips of mob attacks on the properties of Christian community were doing the rounds on social media.

Ifran Gill Masih, a relative of Nazir Masih, told PTI that his uncle had returned from Dubai after four years.

He said some people in the locality falsely accused him of desecration of the holy book. He said the Christian families saved their lives by locking themselves inside their houses when the mob marched towards them. He said the environment has been tense in the area and the Christians are terrified.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was seriously concerned by the unfolding situation in Sargodha, where the Christian community in Gillwala village is reportedly at grave risk to their lives at the hands of charged mobs.

Last year at least 24 churches and over 80 houses belonging to Christians in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad district, some 130 km from the provincial capital, were burnt down by a mob enraged over reports that two Christians had desecrated the Quran.