The incident of mob violence at Badami Bagh against Christians on Saturday yet again raised tough questions for the Punjab government, as opposition parties doubted the government’s desire, instead of its ability, for taking action against the extremist elements.
Torching a Christian colony in the provincial metropolitan in front of law enforcement agencies who were nothing more than silent spectators points to the lack of willingness on the part of Punjab’s law enforcement agencies for preventing or stopping such incidents.
Critics have termed the lack of political will on the part of the government the major reason for not taking any action to avert an avoidable incident.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo once again mentioned the Punjabn government’s links with extremist parties for political gains. He also criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief for issuing statements on the federal government’s failure to curb violence, when the Punjab was passing through the “worst phase” in terms of law and order. “Such unchecked violence against Christians is a clear proof of the failure of the Punjab government,” he added.
Eye witnesses further complained of the indifference of all stakeholders including minority leaders in averting the barbaric episode. Reportedly, when Senator Kamran Micheal accompanied Law Minister Rana Sanaullah to the sight in the evening after the incident, the affected families raised slogans against them and did not allow them entry into their ravaged locality.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, however, ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident, while putting the SSP and a SP officer on special duty. He also suspended a DSP.
Furthermore, he announced financial aid for the families who lost their homes in the attack. He also ordered arrests of those responsible for burning down the houses and instigating the crowd. “Cases against the responsible will be registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA),” he told a press conference.
However, it did not appease the opposition parties nor the wider public opinion, which had been critical of the government’s inability in curbing such extremism. Deputy Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Shaukat Basra said the Punjab government had a history of not taking action against the perpetrators of these crimes. “If the government had taken any action in the Gojra incident, this wouldn’t have happened at all. Even in the current episode, the issue has been hot for a couple of days, but the authorities remained blind to the development,” he added. To a question, he said the opposition will pass a resolution in the Punjab assembly to condemn the incident.
PML-N spokesperson Senator Pervaiz Rasheed condemned the incident and termed it a manifestation of the mindset which the state had promoted over the years and the society had accepted silently.
“I can show you the copies of newspapers in which people wanted public hangings as punishment for such crimes. This mindset has taken roots in the society and will need revolutionary for reformation,” he said.
To a question, he said no government wanted that its citizens should suffer and he remained adamant that the police had protected Christians and no loss of life had been reported.
To a question, he denied PML-N’s associations with extremist groups.
He said the government would deal with these elements with an iron hand and said weak prosecution and lack of witnesses would not be a problem this time because video clips would be presented in the court as evidence, and those identified in the videos would be charged under the ATA.
To a question on any organisation being involved in the episode, he said the workers from nearby iron scrap godowns were charged by two groups contesting for some local post and had exploited the entire situation. He denied involvement of any foreign or local conspiracy behind the incident.
The judicial inquiry was underway and it would be premature to apportion blame on any party, he said.
