- One protester dead, seven injured as Christians block Ferozepur Road in Lahore
- Protesters damage public property, attack cars and clash with police as security personnel fired tear gas and baton charged the crowds to restore peace
- Death toll from Sunday’s twin bombings climbs to 17, govt forms JIT to probe attacks while police register cases in Lahore, arrest 15 demonstrators in Gujranwala
Enraged over the government’s failure to ensure protection of non-Muslim Pakistanis, members of the Christian community Monday took to the streets in Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala to register their protest over a Taliban attack on two churches in Lahore which left at least 17 people dead and more than 70 injured.
The attacks on Sunday occurred during mass at two churches located in half kilometre radius in the city’s Youhanabad neighbourhood that is home to more than 100,000 Christians. The attack, which claimed 16 lives initially, took another life Monday as one of the injured, Khushi Masih, 25, son of Radu Masih, succumbed to his wounds.
Infuriated by perpetually compounding miseries, protesters stormed the city’s Ferozepur Road, starting from Youhanabad area, and made their presence felt as they clashed with dozens of baton-wielding police personnel. They pelted stones at the policemen holding up protective plastic shields.
Women also gathered for a sit-in protest and prayers for the deceased led by a priest at the Saint John’s Catholic Church in Youhanabad. “The purpose of the sit-in is to shed light on the fact that the Christian community should be given protection and peaceful living conditions,” one of the protesters said.
A protester was killed while seven others were also injured after being hit by a car at Ferozepur Road during the protest. The police said the protesters stopped a school teacher, Mariam near Nishtar Colony, surrounded her car and started breaking windows. The “terrified woman” tried to escape and in this bid ran over the demonstrators, the police added. The injured were taken to Lahore General Hospital where doctors pronounced one of them dead.
The enraged mobs also damaged several private vehicles by breaking their windscreens with batons and stones and the violence continued till late in the evening.
Moreover, the protesters on Ferozepur Road stopped Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) Christian MPA Khalil Tahir Sindhu’s car from going towards Youhanabad. Sindhu exited the car and continued walking towards Youhanabad when protesters pushed him and shouted slogans against the government, demanding Sindhu to turn back.
The protesters lamented that incidents such as these take place during the PML-N government’s tenure and that they were not in favour of visits from PML-N leaders.
Later on, on the instructions of Punjab government, the ruckus at Ferozepur Road came under control after the police called back-up and used water cannons and tear gas shelling to disperse the protesters.
Three companies of paramilitary Rangers also reached the protest site on the directives of the Punjab Home Department while the government officials also negotiated with the protesters.
Later in the night, the district administration and Christian leaders decided that funerals of Sunday’s victims would be held at 11am amid foolproof security.
COUNTRYWIDE PROTESTS:
Furthermore, protesters Monday blocked roads in Faisalabad, Sargodha and Gujranwala.
More than a hundred protesters gathered at Faisalabad’s Millat Road where they burnt tyres and attacked a rickshaw. The protesters also blocked the Kamalpur Interchange on Faisalabad Motorway. The protesters then headed to Zila Council Chowk where they continued their demonstrations.
Protests have been taking place in various parts of Faisalabad since Sunday while police baton-charged protesters near the Pindi Bypass in Gujranwala. They also took 15 demonstrators into custody.
CASES REGISTERED:
In the meanwhile, Lahore’s Nishtar Colony Police Monday registered two cases, under Section 302, 109 and 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), on account of Sunday’s blasts. The cases were filed on the complaint of Father Francis Gulzar and Father Irshad Ashknaz of the Saint John’s Catholic Church and Christ Church Youhanabad, respectively.
Investigations SSP Rana Ayyaz Saleem said that police high-ups were holding consultation over the registration of a case over the lynching of two suspects by enraged protesters.
JIT CONSTITUTED:
Moreover, the Punjab government Monday constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the twin attacks on churches in Youhanabad.
According to Deputy Inspector General Investigations Shehzad Sultan, a JIT comprising civil and military agencies had been constituted to investigate the attacks. He said that they started the investigation and efforts were being made to identify the suicide bombers through forensic reports and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
