ICT Police forms Minority Protection Unit

Around 70 personnel deputed for protection of minority places of worship and communities in their areas

The Islamabad Police formed a 'Minority Protection Unit' (MPU) on Thursday for minority places of worship and communities.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) the federal capital's police announced the formation of the unit, which will be "responsible for the protection of minority places of worship and communities in their areas".

Around 70 policemen have been inducted to the unit.

"مینارٹی پروٹیکشن یونٹ" میں 70 جوان تعینات کردیے گئے۔

تمام ڈی پی اوز اپنے علاقہ میں اقلیتی عبادتوں گاہوں اور آبادیوں کی حفاظت کے ذمہ دار ہوں گے۔ ہر ڈویژن کی سطح پر اقلیتی کمیٹیوں سے رابطوں کو مضبوط بنایا جائے گا۔

مینارٹی پروٹیکشن یونٹ ایس ایس پی آپریشنز کی زیر نگرانی فرائض سر…

— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) August 17, 2023

The federal capital police stated that the MPU has been established as per the recommendations of the National Minorities Commission. It is to dispense duties under the supervision of the operations senior superintendent of police.

Read Govt, TLP agree to stringent anti-blasphemy measures

The move comes a day after a violently charged mob of hundreds of men torched at least five churches and attacked homes of members of the Christian community in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad district over an alleged incident of blasphemy.

The mob, of over 5,000 to 6,000 men, was incited through the loudspeaker of a mosque located near Cinema Chowk and urged to "gather and protest" against the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran, according to police reports and the Punjab government.

Panic gripped Jaranwala tehsil for hours on Wednesday as the hundreds of men armed with batons, road carts and petrol bottles charged the neighbourhood chanting slogans.

A large contingent of police reached the site and later enlisted troops of the paramilitary Rangers but the standoff between the mob and law enforcement authorities continued till late into the night.

Locals said that for several hours as the mob ransacked residences and set ablaze churches, the police stood by as spectators.

Read More Punjab govt to restore churches, homes after Jaranwala violence

An FIR was lodged against persons accused of blasphemy as the police attempted to disperse the mob.

After outrage and calls for justice from all sections of society, the police reportedly lodged two FIRs booking hundreds of unidentified men and a handful of named suspects, who allegedly led the mob.

The district administration later imposed Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) banning all kinds of assembly, except for government events, in the area for seven days.

The interim Punjab government has ordered an inquiry into the incident and vowed to restore the Christian places of worship and homes that were desecrated.