Jaranwala: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) rejects the police reports on Jaranwala’s blasphemy case with their new changed narratives.

Naveed Walter president Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said that police have made the fake reports on Jaranwala’s blasphemy incidents. We reject both versions of police, first of foreign conspiracy just after the incident dated 16 August and now of honor crime to personal interests, he added.

Naveed Walter president of HRFP said, that since the attacks on Jaranwala happened on 16 August 2023, where 21 Churches and about 100 houses were burnt, the series of attacks on Christians has been started. Christians are being attacked in different areas of Pakistan while the several Christians including women and children are in police custody on the name of investigations, HRFP added.

Naveed Walter said that the police was reluctant to apprehend the actual perpetrators of incitement who did through planted blasphemy charges. On the other hand, there are multiple incidents happened with Christians as “aftershocks” of Jaranwala, he added.   

On 18 August 2023, an unknown person throws eggs on the walls of Church in Faisalabad, showing hatred to Church and fled.

On 19 August 2023 Ahsan Boota Masih, a Christian of district Sahiwal was alleged of uploaded a blasphemous letter of Jaranwala incident through his tiktok account. The facts revealed that there was an issue of money debts between the accused and the accuser.

On 20 August 2023, in Sargodha a blasphemy issue happened with same format, when someone got torn Quranic pages near Church.

On 21 August 2023, again some unknowns tried to create problems in Faisalabad using the same accusations of desecrating Quran by throwing torn pages themselves first and then accusing Christians of doing that.

On 25 August 2023, the announcements were made to attack a Christian Colony Rawalpindi. When the Christians left their houses, the police declared that a rumor and later alleged the two Christian brothers that they are the reason behind all of that.

On 28 August 2023, some unknown extremist wrote Islamic slogans on the wall of Church. On 29 August 2023, Police erased the slogans, but extremist started threatening Pastor Eliezer alias Vicky, in charge of Church. On 3 September 2023, Pastor Vicky got wounded in deadly attack.

On 1 September 2023, a Christian man Ahsan Masih killed by Muhammad Aslam and his allies at Mehboob Town Faisalabad. Family alleged police involvement.

On 7 September 2023, an announcement was made through Mosque near Christian Colony Tandalianwala to burn the colony over allegation of Blasphemy. The Christians had left their houses. A Christian woman alleged for that. Later that reveled there was a blasphemy case against one Muslim’s sects to other Muslim’s sect on the basis of FIR registered on 4 September 2023.

On 7 September 2023, a 6 year old Christian student (boy) was alleged of blasphemy by teacher in Khanewal. A Christian student accused of blasphemy was tortured as well.

On 8 September 2023, a Christian couple, Kiran Masih and Shaukat Masih were accused and arrested for blasphemy allegation founding torn pages of Quran at their roof top in Lahore. Religious group attacked but they were arrested before.

Naveed Walter said further that there was a new dilemma of the extremists marked Churches with Islamic slogans. Same has been seen on 21 August 2023 at Church in Karachi named "The Central Brooks Memorial", and on 28 August 2023 the Presbyterian Church in Rehmat town, Faisalabad was among the buildings, targeted.

Naveed Walter stated that after multiple incidents that happened to Christians, the state has failed to stop them, so they made new justifications that Christians are doing themselves. Naveed Walter also said, if the Christians are involved in Jaranwala incident and Pastor Vicky wrote & shots himself, then where is the proof? Do the police who claim this, have any evidence or legitimate proof to support their accusations. Why the same incidents are happening in different areas like the roof top desecrating of Quran in two cities, Churches wall chalking with Islamic slogans in more than three cities, creating fear so the Christians could flee and could be looted like Jaranwala.

Naveed Walter said, when the state has failed to provide protection and justice, they created a new strategy to put pressure on Christians so they could keep silent and not to demand their due rights.   

HRFP collected the facts of each incident and observed that these are the intentional series of attacks and threats to Christians to put pressure on them. HRFP not only reject but refuse to accept the police reports.