LAHORE -UNS: Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Moshin Naqvi on Thursday said that “both main accused” in yesterday’s Jaranwala rampage — when a mob torched several churches, ransacked Christian homes and vandalised a graveyard — were now in the custody of the Counter Terrorism Department.
On Wednesday, a violent mob of hundreds had ransacked and torched several churches while also attacking the residences of members of the Christian community.
A Christian cemetery and the office of the local assistant commissioner were also vandalised. The incident had led the Punjab government to call in Rangers while 3,000 police personnel from various police units, including the Elite Force, had been deployed as well.
As per police and local sources, the violence erupted after some locals alleged that several desecrated pages of the Holy Quran had been found near a house at Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala, where two Christian brothers resided.
The Punjab government had ordered the formation of a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the incident, in line with directives issued by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq.
Separately, in a statement issued late on Wednesday night, Punjab police said it had made over 100 arrests while the Jaranwala police booked over 600 people in two terror cases.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) today, Naqvi said: “Major breakthrough in the Jaranwala Incident — both main accused now in CTD custody.”
He appreciated the provincial chief secretary and police chief for their “relentless efforts” and thanked the interim premier for “driving the swift arrest process”.
In a meeting with religious leaders earlier today, Naqvi also announced that the Punjab government would restore all the churches and homes ransacked in the incident and asserted that such incidents were anti-Islam and against the teachings of the Holy Prophet.
“Whatever damages took place, as a government, Muslims and humans, we will restore them.”
He claimed the mob-led attack was a “planned conspiracy” to “light a fire in the country and sabotage its peace”.
“For the future, we should sit with our minorities and chalk out a plan to prevent such incidents,” he stressed, urging religious leaders to spread the message of the Holy Quran among the people.
The caretaker CM added that all Pakistanis were one and promised to prevent any such “conspiracy” in the future. “There is no space for this in our country.”
Naqvi also appreciated the provincial chief secretary and police chief for effectively controlling the situation in Jaranwala yesterday and preventing any loss of life.
‘We are ashamed’
In a press conference in Lahore earlier in the evening, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi apologised for the Jaranwala violence and reaffirmed the commitment to protect “our Christian brothers”.
“We are ashamed,” he said. “We failed to fulfil our responsibility as an elder brother … we seek forgiveness.”
