ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, which resumes the case proceedings in the 2023 Jaranwala tragedy today, has been urged to direct the one-man commission of Dr Shoaib Suddle — appointed in 2019 to implement its 2014 order in a minority rights case — to conduct inquiry and assign culpabilities to groups and individuals involved in the gruesome arson attacks on churches and properties of Christian community in Faisalabad on Aug 16 last year.

A new petition was filed in the top court on Monday seeking a direction that the one-man commission conduct inquiry and assign culpabilities to groups and individuals involved in the attacks.

Moved by senior counsel Faisal Siddiqui, the new petition has been filed by Reverend Khalid Mukhtar, Pervez Gill, Peter Jacob, Shehzad John Crest, The Diocese of Karachi and Balochistan, Church of Pakis­tan, Reverend Shafique Kanwal and Reverend Ghazala Parveen.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a three-judge bench also comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali, will take up on Tuesday the Jaranwala case.

CJP-led bench to resume hearing of Jaranwala case today

The petition pleaded that the one-man commission appointed on Jan 8, 2019, in a suo motu case, should be asked to conduct a detailed inquiry and ascertain facts of the attack on the churches and properties of minorities in the Jaranwala tragedy.

The commission should also investigate the causes of the Jaranwala incident and assign culpabilities to the groups and individuals involved in the attacks on the churches and properties of minorities in the Jaranwala tragedy, the petition said. Besides, it added, the commission should also ascertain the quantum and extent of damage caused by the attacks and ascertain to what extent the compensation has been paid and damage to property restored.

The petition urged the court to ensure that commission ascertain the extent of negligence on part of the state institutions in failing to prevent the attacks on the churches and properties of minorities in the Jaranwala incident. The SC should also direct this commission to act with such powers as conferred by the court and to submit a report within one month. The federal and the provincial governments should immediately implement the 2014 SC judgment on minority rights and furnish a report regarding compliance of the judgment within two months, it demanded.

It also urged the court to order the Punjab chief secretary, home secretary and inspector general of police to submit fortnightly reports regarding investigation of all FIRs arising out of the Jaranwala incident.

The petitioners, it said, were members of the Christian community and were directly affected by the violent attacks of Aug 16, 2023, perpetrated on the Christian community at Jaranwala. It argued that the violent attacks spread to other Christian localities as well as to villages in outskirts of the Jaranwala city and during the entire time, police failed to contain the violent attacks.

The extent of damage caused by violent attacks was colossal and unprecedented, the petition regretted, adding in Jaranwala, at least 24 churches and several dozens of smaller chapels were burnt. Several pastor’s houses and over 80 homes in 11 different localities were looted and burnt to the ground.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2024