ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: President of the Central Policy Planning of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) MNA Sherry Rehman has criticized the government for what she said its inaction in arresting the culprits who attacked the Sangla Hills churches and school on November 12.

In a statement here on Tuesday, she said the incident spoke volumes for the increasing atmosphere of bigotry and intolerance in the country.

“What is worse is that the police officials who stood to one side and made no attempt to prevent the attack have not been dismissed nor disciplined.”

She demanded that a judicial inquiry be immediately instituted and the commission be headed by no less than a high court judge. She said there had been no arrest of the culprits and, in fact, the inquiry itself only began on November 28. “It is a matter of shame for those who adhere to the Quaid-i-Azam’s vision of Pakistan that it took six days of mass protests by the Christian community for the prime minister to visit the site of atrocity,” she added.

She said it was common knowledge in the area that Yousuf Masih, the accused, was a victim of his gambling partner, Kalo Suniara, who had threatened him with “dire consequences” after losing to him.

She said Yousuf Masih had himself surrendered to the police, but the police did not inform the attackers that the alleged culprit was already under arrest, which allowed the mob to set fire to a catholic school’s hostel and burn the church building.

Ms Rehman said it was not the first instance in which the regime’s unresponsive attitude to minorities had come to the fore. She said in July 2002 a blasphemy accused was stoned to death in Jaranwala. The year 2003 also saw the unleashing of unprecedented violence within the country by terrorists. In April, she said, a mob of about 400 people attacked and killed Ashiq Nabi who had been accused of blasphemy by relatives in a Nowshera village.