“I feel ashamed after seeing the report on the Jaranwala incident,” says CJP Isa.
- CJP Isa says Punjab govt report 'worth throwing away'.
- “I feel ashamed after seeing the report,” he said during the hearing.
- The Punjab AAG says 304 people have been arrested for their involvement in the incident.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the Punjab government's progress report on the Jaranwala incident, with Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa saying it is “worth throwing in the trash”.
The Chief Justice's remarks came during the hearing of a case related to minority rights, where the Punjab provincial government submitted its progress report on the incident.
On August 16, a charged mob vandalized several churches and burned dozens of houses in the town of Jaranwala in the industrial district of Faisalabad after clerics made announcements in mosques inciting the mob to attack the Christian community under alleged accusations of blasphemy.
Paramilitary troops were called in to control the violence and bring the situation under control, according to a government order seen by Reuters.
Shortly after the incident, CJP Isa, who was the appointed Chief Justice at the time, visited the neighborhood to meet and express his solidarity with the Christian community.
“I feel ashamed after seeing the report on the Jaranwala incident,” said CJP Isa.
Questioning the Additional Solicitor General of Punjab, the Chief Justice asked when the Jaranwala incident took place and how many people were arrested so far.
In his response, he said, “The Jaranwala incident took place on August 16, 2023, 22 cases were registered and 304 people were arrested. [At least] “18 of the 22 FIR challans have been collected.”
“MashaAllah only these 18 challans were issued in 6 months?” -the president of the Supreme Court commented sarcastically.
CJP Isa lamented how Pakistanis make noise about Islamophobia in other countries, but “what are they doing themselves?”
“Do you want to copy the way non-Muslims are treated in India?” he questioned her.
The Chief Justice asked the Additional Solicitor General of Punjab about the time when the first church was burnt and what is Fajr in August.
Meanwhile, the Investigative Superintendent of Police (SP) of Faisalabad, who was investigating the Jaranwala incident, said that the Muslim community of the neighborhood met and decided to take action on the blasphemous act.
“In Jaranwala, brave policemen were watching the spectacle,” asked CJP Isa.
In its response, the SP probe said: “The desecration of the Holy Quran took place at 5:15 am, when the Quranic scrolls were installed in a desecrated manner.”
Soon after the brutal incident, the interim Punjab government ordered a high-level inquiry to investigate the burning and demolition of properties belonging to the local Christian community in the neighbourhood.
