Speakers attending the 2nd day of IAF’s 10th Alumni meeting of Freedom Gate Pakistan (FGP) in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) condemned the attacks by protestors on public property and a Church.
“We have always been made to believe that the “white” in the Pakistani flag represents the minorities. Over the period of time, the “white” in the flag remains in the same, but the space for the minorities has certainly decreased,” said the speakers belonging to different backgrounds and walks of life.
The discussion, conducted by Gulmina Bilal Ahmed, talked about the role of the government in such situations and urged the officials to take the necessary steps to protect the lives and properties of the public. A participant of the meeting observed, “The government is on the back foot and the law enforcement agencies are not playing their due role and the state has failed to deliver on its promises.” Dozens of police officers were wounded and a police post was burnt to the ground before the army was eventually called in to disperse the raging protesters on Friday.
A couple of cinemas in Peshawar and Karachi were also burned down by angry mobs, while shops were also looted. A Church was also attacked in Mardan and Holy Books lying in the adjacent library were burnt into ashes. However, another participant pointed out that that “We need to distinguish whether it was genuine anger or whether criminal elements were involved in the mob violence.”