TOBA TEK SINGH: The Minority Rights Movement Pakistan and Victims Committee Jaranwala say that despite the passage of two years, the government has not provided justice and full compensation for the losses that Christians faced during the attacks on the community and its churches in Jaranwala.

The office-bearers of the both organisations held a joint press conference in Faisalabad on Tuesday. The speakers included Lala Robin Daniel, Shakeel Bhatti, Abrar Younis Sahotra, Shafiq Goshi, Pervez Iqbal Bhatti, Ijaz Jacob Gill, Bishop Gerard Jerry, Yousuf Adnan, Patras Councilor, Yeshua Bhatti, Ghafoor Siraj, Malik Sohail Sardar, Tahira Anjum, Zaheer Murad, Robert Iqbal, Pastor Asher and Shimon Bhatti.

In their speeches, they said that the accused had never been sentenced in even a single incident of serious arson and looting against Christians. Saying that the minorities across the country had become vulnerable, they announced that a movement would be launched across the country to seek justice in the Jaranwala tragedy.

They said there was a question mark over the silence of the Punjab and federal governments on the atrocities against Christians. They blamed that the religious groups were doing politics by playing with the lives and property of minorities.

Minority rights groups warn of launching movement for justice

The speakers termed the police responsible for such acts and demanded action against the police officers concerned. Despite the passage of two years, they said, only 381 out of 5,200 accused had been arrested while 380 accused had been released on bail.

They added that the groups that committed such serious incidents first looted and then burnt the properties, the police and courts declared these groups innocent, hurting religious sentiments of the community. They warned that a decisive movement would be launched for justice and protection.

VIOLENCE: Dozens of students broke glasses of a Faisalabad-Bahawalpur-bound bus and tortured the bus driver and conductor at Gojra.

Students hoarded the bus and climbed on its rooftop too to go to their villages from the general bus stand. When the bus reached Moongi Bangla Road near Takia Phumman Shah Adda, the conductor asked some of them to take another bus as he had to get passengers over. At this, students attacked the bus driver, conductor and bus with sticks and fled after damaging the bus.

The Gojra City police are looking into the matter.

ACCIDENT: A motorcyclist died and his pillion was injured critically after their bike hit a stray dog on the Samundri Road at Gojra.

As a result of the hit, both the riders fell down and one of them died.

The deceased was identified as Tariq Mahmood (40) and the injured was identified as Muhammad Usman (25) who was shifted to Gojra Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

OFFLOADED: A passenger had been offloaded from a flight for Saudi Arabia.

The passenger, Bilal Amjad, a resident of Sargodha, had to proceed to Serbia on a fake visa which was found in his documents.

A press release said accused Bilal had been arrested and he confessed that he had purchased a fake visa from an agent for Rs2m.

He had been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further action.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2025