Mob Attack on Christians in Punjab, Pakistan Leaves Two Injured Amid Allegations of Quran Desecration
Hundreds of Muslims in eastern Pakistan went on a rampage over allegations that a Christian man had desecrated the pages of Islam's holy book, ransacking and burning his house and beating him before police officers rescued the man and his father.
A mob led by radical Islamists attacked Christians in Pakistan's Punjab province on Saturday, injuring at least two members of the minority community, one seriously. The incident occurred in Mujahid Colony, Sargodha district, about 200 km from Lahore. Police intervened to control the situation, but not before significant damage was done.
Video clips circulating on social media show the mob, led by activists from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), burning and ransacking Christian properties. Senior Punjab police officer Asad Ejaz Malhi reported that a heavy police contingent arrived to disperse the mob, which had surrounded Christian homes over allegations of Quran desecration. One injured person was taken to the hospital, and police have been deployed to maintain order.
According to another police officer, the violence began when some youths in Mujahid Colony accused Nazir Gill Masih of desecrating the Quran. In response, a mob led by TLP activists attacked Nazir’s residence and shoe factory, setting them ablaze and ransacking nearby Christian-owned shops. The mob lynched and thrashed Nazir before police could rescue him and take him to the hospital, where his condition remains critical. Another Christian man was also injured.
Ifran Gill, a relative of Nazir, explained that Nazir had recently returned from Dubai after four years. He claimed Nazir was falsely accused of desecration and that Christian families locked themselves inside their homes to escape the mob. The situation remains tense, and the Christian community is terrified.
Human rights lawyer and politician Jibran Nasir condemned the attack on social media, highlighting the state's failure to take serious action against perpetrators of similar incidents, such as the Jaranwala attack. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed serious concern over the situation in Sargodha, urging Punjab police to restore calm and protect the Christian community.
Sara Taseer, daughter of the slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer, noted that the Christian community is more vulnerable than ever due to the lack of communication channels following the ban on social media platform X.
This attack echoes a similar incident last year in Jaranwala tehsil, Faisalabad district, where at least 24 churches and over 80 Christian homes were burned down by a mob over allegations of Quran desecration.
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