Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr. Usman Anwar disclosed on Monday that the law enforcement agency has uncovered connections between the Jaranwala incident and hostile agencies.
On August 16, a violent mob targeted multiple churches and ignited numerous houses in Jaranwala town, situated in the industrial district of Faisalabad. The attack was triggered by announcements made in local mosques, inciting the crowd to assault the Christian community on allegations of blasphemy.
This incident has ignited widespread condemnation across the country, sparking outrage on social media and prompting political and religious figures to denounce the extreme behavior displayed. Many have voiced that such actions have no place in society.
During a press conference in Lahore, IGP Anwar detailed, “The Jaranwala incident shows connections to hostile agencies. We have successfully apprehended three principal suspects involved in the attacks, in addition to approximately 180 other individuals.”
He further elaborated that legal measures have been set in motion in response to the Jaranwala incident. He assured that assistance is being provided to the victims within the Christian community, and the restoration of the damaged churches is actively underway.
IGP Anwar also touched upon the broader context, stating, “We have previously indicated efforts aimed at creating divisions between Muslims and Christians. The roots of this conspiracy can be traced back to the initial incident in Sargodha.”
Regarding the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sargodha, IGP Anwar affirmed that the police had successfully apprehended three suspects linked to the incident. “We have dismantled the network of individuals involved in the desecration of the Quran. We are determined to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future,” he asserted.
In a plea to the Muslim community, IGP Anwar emphasized refraining from taking the law into their own hands. He assured that individuals facilitating adversaries will be held accountable and justice will be served consistently.
IGP Anwar underlined, “It is the responsibility of the mosque’s imam and muezzin to prevent any misuse of loudspeakers.”
