Joint Action Committee (JAC) in a meeting on Wednesday condemned attack on churches and houses of Christians in Jaranwala.
The speakers said that these incidents are unacceptable and demanded the government take action to nab culprits behind these attacks and penalise them under the law.
They expressed concern over the increase of such incidents across country and demanded the government show its resolve and zero-tolerance for religious extremism, the speakers said. JAC demanded immediate action and criminal proceedings against those inciting violence and instigating crimes against minorities and spreading hate.
JAC believed that had the state taken serious action against those culprits involved in similar crimes in previous such violence Jaranwala incident would not have happened.
A fact-finding report presented at the meeting, said the attacks were organised. Water tanks were emptied before lighting fire so that people could not extinguish fire. More than 80 houses were burnt. The problem started one and a half months back. They stressed that the first thing should be to rehabilitate people.
The JAC demanded the government compensate the damages of properties to families who are mostly very poor and need immediate help to reconstruct their houses.JAC members Hina Jilani and Peter Jacob had a meeting with the chief minister on Wednesday who told them that 80 percent compensation had been processed.
