Shumaila, 48, looks through her family belongings at a section of her home, after it was burnt by a mob two days earlier, in Badami Bagh. PHOTO: REUTERS
In its preliminary report after a fact-finding mission to the Christian neighbourhood of Joseph Colony in Badami Bagh, Lahore, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it held the police and the provincial administration responsible.
According to a press release, the commission looked at the response of the administration before and during the incident to identify those responsible for the lapse.
On March 9, more than 200 houses were attacked following alleged blasphemous remarks by a Christian sanitary worker, Sawan Masih, who was subsequently arrested.
During their investigations, the HRCP team found that on Friday evening the local police told the Christian community to vacate their houses as there was a possibility of violence erupting.
The commission said the responsibility was ascribed at two levels: immediate responsibility rested with the police and district administration, while the ultimate responsibility rested with the provincial government.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ