JARANWALA – A mosque has opened its building for Christian people needing places for worship after their churches were vandalised and torched in Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad over blasphemy allegations.
Earlier this month, some five churches and several buildings have been burnt and the residences of Christian members, who were accused of blasphemy, were destroyed.
A local pastor told media that Salvation Army Church, Shehroonwala Church, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church located in the Isa Nagri area came under attack.
The incident drew massive criticism with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar calling it a day of shame. In a post on social media platform he vowed to punish those responsible for desecrating churches over Blasphemy allegations.
He said, “I am gutted by the visuals coming out of Jaranwala, Faisalabad. Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities. All law enforcement has been asked to apprehend culprits & bring them to justice. Rest assured that the government of Pakistan stands with our citizenry on equal basis.”
Police have arrested over 150 people in the case as high-level probe has been launched into the matter as the Punjab government saw it as a planned attempt to disrupt peace in the country
Mosque Opened For Christians
A pastor told international media that a mosque in Jaranwala has opened the doors of its buildings for Christian community to offer their prayers.
He said a person of the mosque’s administration approached him and offered to come to the mosque and say their prayers as they do in a church.
The pastor can be seen getting emotion as he told the media about the generosity being showed by the Islamic scholars after the Jaranwala incident.
