Interim P.M. Kakar addresses the Christian community in Jaranwala
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday visited the Jaranwala district of Faisalabad and assured the Christian community there will no compromise on the protection of minorities.
Last week, a violent mob targeted churches and Christian homes in Jaranwala after being incited via mosque loudspeakers to attack the minority community over allegations of blasphemy. The attack triggered public outrage, with mass condemnations for the incident and calls for exemplary punishments against all culprits to ensure such incidents do not reoccur.
“I am saddened by the tragedy based on hate. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the safety of every citizen,” Kakar told the gathered crowd, including several of the victims of the Jaranwala violence. Stressing that extremism has nothing to do with any religion, language or region, he said a society cannot sustain itself if it doesn’t care for all people comprising it.
“The Christian community played an important role in bringing Pakistan to existence and it is the responsibility of every Muslim to protect the minority community,” he said, vowing that justice would be ensured. “The enemies’ first target is on the justice system and any society can only exist with justice and fairness,” he said, lamenting that the Jaranwala incident reflected human behavior adopting the form of Satan.
“I was deeply saddened by the Jaranwala tragedy. The state stands with the oppressed and not the oppressor,” he said, vowing that the state’s actions would speak louder than its words. The interim prime minister, while acknowledging that no one could predict the future, said that he wanted to make clear that if anyone targeted Pakistan’s minorities, regardless of their faith, they would find the government on the side of the victims, not the perpetrators.
Kakar also thanked senior puisne judge Qazi Faez Isa, caretaker Punjab chief minister Mohsin Naqvi and the military leadership for their support to the victims. Following his speech, the interim prime minister distributed cheques of Rs. 2 million each to the members of the Christian community whose houses were ransacked during the riots. He also visited Isa Nagri and reviewed the reconstruction of a damaged church.
According to estimates from the Faisalabad district administration, at least 22 churches were ransacked by the mob, causing damages of Rs. 29.1 million. Additionally, it said, 91 houses were damaged, with damages amounting to Rs. 38.5 million. Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Naqvi has said the police search for culprits is ongoing, adding all guilty parties would be punished under law.