The Voice team was told by a source about the occurrence of the incidence of Blasphemy on Sunday 24th May 2015 in the late evening. The Voice team went to investigate/fact finding about the incidence. We also had news that there is a situation of Riots there at the place of incidence. As the people (Muslims) were very angry upon the burning of the Holy Quran.
When the Voice team reached at the place of occurrence i.e. Madina Colony Dhoop Sarai Sandha Kalan the situation was very tense and alarming because a huge mob of Islamic Clerics was going inside the colony of the Christians. The Christian’s colony is comprised of about 100-125 Christian houses. There were a huge number of Police force and Police vans, while The Voice team stood outside the street/colony to wait for the Mob to go. Right after that we heard that the DIG Opeartion Dr. Haider Ashraf got severely injured in the operation against the Mob of the clerics. Right after that the police started throwing tear gas on the Mob to disperse the Mob. The DIG was shifted to hospital immediately through the ambulance service 1122. The situation got more terrifying when the mob started resisting the Police force. More police force was called and the people from the houses managed to escape by God’s help and the help of police somehow. After the mob was dispersed and the situation became a bit better the higher officials including Minister of Sports and MNA (Member of National Assembly) Rana Mashood, MNA Mary Nathaniel Gill, MNA Pervaiz Malik, Chief city police officer Mr. Ameen Venice, District coordination officer (DCO), Commissioner of Police Lahore and superintendent of Police Mr. Iqbal Khan reached the place of occurrence to control the situation. The DCO announced and ensured the Christian residents to stay in their houses while there was police and Rangers to protect them but the people were very fearful to stay. By the time we left the colony almost all Christian houses were empty.
The Voice’s Fact Finding:
Upon meeting many people from the Police officials and from the Muslims and Christians locality the Voice team came to know about the facts that Humayun Faisal is a middle aged Christian and is mentally retarded/ unstable of mind burnt down few pages from Holy Quran, (no body still knows about the actual facts whether from where he got the Quranic Pages and who saw him burning) but a case of Blasphemy under section 295 B has been registered and is under the Police custody including his family while his house is broken down by the angry mob. Adv. Aneeqa also asked SP. about the people who have instigated the mob because the instigation is also crime and there was a mob of about more than 1000 people in different groups coming from different directions and still they were calling more to come. SP. Ensured us that a legal action will be taken against the people who have instigated the Mob and who have joined the mob as well. The Mob had planned the burning of Christian’s houses and the Catholic Church named Hazrat Yousaf’s Church which is headed by Rev. Fr. Philip John but the timely intervention of Police have failed their plan but still there is every apprehension that the Mob will try again as they are not ready to listen and compromise with the Police. Therefore two teams of Rangers were also called to control the situation.
The Voice team left the place upon repeatedly warnings from the police’s higher officials for the sake of safety and security of the team. We are thankful to God that every single Christian resident of the area is safe so far and the family and the Victim is also secured by the Police. This is the first time in the history of the attacks upon Christians that Police acted so vigilantly and strongly in order to save people for undue persecution and riots. If the Police have acted the same way in Badami Bagh and Gojra incidents we believe that those places would have stayed safe, as the way people are safe today in Madina Colony Dhoop Sarhi Sanda Kalan. Thanks to Rangers and Punjab Police’s efforts that people are safe and The Voice team also left the place safely. Regarding the case, the Voice will provide all sorts of legal and moral help to the family if they call for it.
Presently the situation is quiet tense there and in the surroundings as well. Please keep this situation in your prayers. And also pray for the defenders.
Reported By,
Advocate High Court
