ISLAMABAD: The caretaker minister for religious affairs, Aneeq Ahmed, has stressed the need to look into the past to prevent a repeat of the Jaranwala-like incident, when a vigilante mob ransacked several homes and churches earlier this month over blasphemy allegations.

Addressing the ‘Interfaith Harmony Conference’, organised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday, Mr Ahmed said that such incidents had started occurring after 1997.

“This is cruelty. It’s unfortunate that whatever we discuss in conferences and seminars is not reflected on the ground,” Mr Ahmed said.

Senior Muslim clerics, religious figures from the Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities, and diplomats from several countries attended the conference.

“We are the elder brothers of the Christian community and it is our responsibility to protect them,” the minister said, adding that the teachings of Islam were the guiding light for us.

The Jaranwala incident was a sad episode, Mr Ahmed said and stressed that the prime minister, ulema and other dignitaries had visited the homes and churches ransacked by the mob.

The minister also blamed external elements for instigating the conspiracy to tarnish peace and coherence in Pakistan.

He assured members of the Christian community that the incident was being investigated and the culprits would be dealt with according to the law.

“Pakistan is not a banana republic and the law will take its course. And the best solution to beat the conspiracies of the enemy is to work jointly for peace and progress of the nation,” Mr Ahmed said.

Council of Islamic Ideology member Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said the perpetrators of the Jaranwala incident should be punished. “We are sorry for the Jaranwala incident. We went there and apologised to our Christian brothers. We all stand with you,” he said.

Bishop Dr Joseph Arshad criticised the regular attacks on the Christian community and said that the Jaranwala incident was a loss for Pakistan, not just the Christian community.

“This is my country too and we all love Pakistan,” Dr Arshad said, adding that all religions taught peace, brotherhood and tolerance and that interfaith harmony was important in the current situation to counter extremism.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023