SC seeks JIT report on Jaranwala incident

SC orders state to ensure protection of religious minorities as per Constitution

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court has sought a report from the joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe into the vandalism of 80 Christian homes and 19 churches in Faisalabad district’s Jaranwala last month.

A three-judge bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan also issued notices to the religious affairs secretary, Auqaf chairman, attorney general for Pakistan and advocate general seeking their replies.

The court remarked that the state should ensure the protection of the Sikh community and other religious minorities in accordance with the guarantees given to them in the Constitution.

The petitioner, Sardar Bishan Singh, apprised the court that there was fear among the Sikh youth that they were being targeted for murder.

He requested the court to order the Auqaf department to build four walls of the gurdwaras and protect them from encroachment groups.

Singh continued that these groups did not differentiate between temples, mosques, gurdwaras or any other place of worship and encroached upon them whenever they wanted.

During the hearing, the details of the destruction of gurdwaras in Lahore were also submitted to the SC by the Sikh leader.

The court was told that after the Jaranwala tragedy, hate speeches were also being delivered.

The SC was further informed that in the light of an agreement with a right-wing party, patrolling was being carried out in the settlements of minorities to check if anyone was resorting to blasphemy.

The petitioner requested the SC to order the relevant authorities to produce this agreement in the court.

To this, the SC ordered the interior secretary and the relevant police chiefs to submit a report on the matter to the court.

The court also issued directions to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police chief to present a detailed report on the issue of targeted killings of the members of the Sikh community in the province.

The SC issued notices to the religious affairs secretary and Auqaf chairman over the dilapidated state of Hindu temples.

On Aug 16, 19 churches in Jaranwala were torched by a violent mob over blasphemy allegations.

Terror and panic gripped the town for hours as the mob equipped with batons, push carts and patrol cans stormed a Christian neighbourhood, ransacking homes and vandalising places of worship while chanting slogans of a right-wing party.

Reports that a copy of the Holy Quran had been desecrated were broadcast from mosques, with one cleric telling followers it was "better to die if you don't care about Islam".

The mob attack was widely condemned by political and religious leaders of the country as well as by civil society and the army chief.