Pakistan: Christians call for transparent investigation of pogrom

On March 11, Pakistan's Supreme Court began hearings to investigate the attack at Joseph Colony, a Christian district in Lahore, on March 9. A dispute between two men, one Muslim and one Christian, led to charges of blasphemy against the Christian party. Riots ensued and Muslim mobs torched 178 Christian homes in the district.

 

Supreme Court President Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is examining the case motu propriu ("own initiative"). The police chief of Punjab and the Attorney General for Punjab were to provide testimony.

 

Given the increasing pressure of public opinion, political and religious leaders have spoken about the case. According to the Fides news service, Minister of Harmony Paul Bhatti called for "a transparent investigation" and "the immediate arrest of the culprits," while he denounced "a mindset that will create a wedge between the different communities in Pakistan" and "to those who put themselves above the law. "

 

Bhatti called for "a collective effort to promote harmony and stop the growing intolerance." Imran Khan, leader of the "Pakistan Tahrik-e-Insaf," condemned the violence remarking: "If the perpetrators of the massacre of Gojra (similar incident a few years ago, Ed) had been brought to justice, the attack in Badami Bagh would not have happened. " In Karachi, members of the "Mutahida Quomi Movement" (MQM) have formed a human chain with Christians, to protest against the incident, demanding the resignation of the Government of Punjab.

 

Christian leaders are relying on the expressed solidarity on the part of Muslim religious leaders and 30 Sunni Islamic schools and the Sunni Tehreek movement. Even leaders of Muslim movements known as  "Jamat-e-Islami" and "Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam" of Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) have condemned the act as "alien to the Islamic religion."