135 arrested, probe ordered in attacks on churches and homes of Christians in Pakistan
135 arrested, probe ordered in attacks on churches and homes of Christians in Pakistan
Updated: Aug 17 2023 8:48PM
By M Zulqernain
Lahore, Aug 17 (PTI) Pakistani authorities have arrested 135 people in connection with the unprecedented mob attack on 21 churches in Punjab province even as the government on Thursday ordered a high-level probe into the riots and promised to "restore" all the damaged churches and homes of the minority Christian community.
An enraged mob ransacked and torched 21 churches and several houses of Christians on Wednesday over blasphemy allegations in Jaranwala town of Faisalabad district, 130 km from Punjab's provincial capital Lahore. A Christian cemetery and the office of the local assistant commissioner were also vandalised.
A Punjab police spokesman said that 135 miscreants have been arrested for attacks on churches and houses of the minority community in Jaranwala. The members of the radical group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were among those arrested.
