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100 held for arson attack

ISLAMABAD - Amid countrywide outrage over burning of Christian houses in Lahore, police arrested about 100 people, clashed with an enraged mob of affected people and their sympathisers while the Punjab government announced a cash compensation besides rebuilding of the torched houses.

Top national leadership including President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, political leaders including Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Altaf Hussain and Maulana Fazlur Rehman voiced their shock and grief over mob fury against the entire community for alleged blasphemous act of one individual.
They were joined by human rights organisations, several religious leaders and the media who felt appalled by the atrocious acts of bigoted mob of several thousand.
“The perpetrators of this heinous crime have brought shame to entire nation, and defamed the name of Islam in the world,” Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said while consoling men, women and children wailing over the loss of their entire belongings.
The mayhem caused by a charged mob of nearly 5,000 people in a Christian neighbourhood in Lahore left a trail of ransacked, looted and burnt houses. Sobbing residents of Joseph Town were seen sitting on the debris and ash of their houses with eyes full of tears.
The violence began on Friday when a man, Sawan Masih, a 28-year-old Christian sanitation worker was accused by his Muslim friend Shahid Imran of defiling the Holy Quran.
Some witnesses said both were drunk and probably picked up a quarrel which led to Imran’s complain. Sawan was arrested on Friday night.
In Lahore, People protesting against the attack on the Christian colony, broke into a Metro Bus office at Ferozpur Road and damaged property. A large contingent of police present at Ferozpur Road had to resort to shelling tear gas at the protesters to disperse them and stop further damage.
Protests were also held in several other cities, including Karachi, Muzzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Vehari and Sukkur.
In Gujranwala, demonstrators blocked the Pindi Bypass Chowk, while rallies were staged in Faisalabad and Sukkur.
The Multan Minorities Alliance also staged a sit-in at Nawan Shehr Chowk.
Punjab Government spokesman Pervaiz Rasheed promised the government would help rebuild houses, but the Christians expressed dissatisfaction with the way the government was handling the incident.
“I have been robbed of all of my life’s savings,” Yousuf Masih said, standing close to his burned house. He said the government’s announcement that it would give Rs200,000 ($2,000) compensation to each family was a joke.
news@khaleejtimes.com
with input from agencies

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