LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Tuesday released a fact-finding report on the mob violence in Mujahid Colony in Sargodha that resulted in the death of a Christian man.

On 25 May, a mob attacked the house of Nazir Masih, following allegations that he had burnt pages of the Holy Quran.

Although his family was evacuated in time by the police, Masih, in his seventies, was caught by the mob, beaten severely and left for dead. He was shifted to the hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries a week later.

According to the HRCP’s mission, it is highly likely that the incident was not just mob violence but a targeted attack on Nazir Masih’s family, emanating from a personal dispute that was given a religious colour to get the maximum leverage. There is also credible evidence of a connection between the alleged instigator of the attack and the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The Punjab government has attempted to downplay the incident by reportedly discouraging the press coverage and failing to condemn the incident unequivocally.

The HRCP report stressed that the connection between Ayub Gondal as the alleged instigator and the TLP must be taken very seriously, given the HRCP’s previous observations regarding a similar role played by the TLP supporters in instigating attacks on the members of religious minorities.

While the mission commended the role of the police in evacuating the family from the area, it pointed out that the police failed to protect the elderly vulnerable man from being lynched. The mission also noted that the police failed to anticipate that the 15 call they had received (prior to the mob attack), alleging that an instance of blasphemy could put the Christian residents of Mujahid Colony at serious risk.

Regarding the Punjab government, the commission said had the chief minister unequivocally condemned the incident, this would have served the Christian community better than attempting to ‘restore’ the victims’ homes.

The commission recommended that those who participated in the attack and were responsible for the death of Nazir Masih must be arrested, investigated and charged, followed by the prosecution, conviction and sentence and there should be any leniency shown to anyone.

The other recommendation of the HRCP included measures to restore Christian citizens’ confidence and concerted efforts to counter hate speech, especially on social media platforms and through mosque loudspeakers.

Strict action should be taken against political parties that use blasphemy allegations as a tool for political purposes. Police response time should be improved and adequate equipment and powers given to them to deal with such incidents. Police officers on the ground must be sensitised to the very real risk that complaints of alleged blasphemy can carry for religious minorities.

The 2014 Supreme Court judgment on the rights of religious minorities must be implemented in letter and spirit. The government must ensure the physical and economic wellbeing of the affected families and rehabilitate them as swiftly as possible.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2024