LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Friday indicted 42 suspects involved in lynching of two Muslim men outside Youhannabad in retaliation for two suicide attacks on churches.

Nishtar Town police produced the suspects before the court under strict security arrangements and the court framed charges on them. The suspects pleaded not guilty and opted to contest their trial.

The court adjourned the trial hearing till Oct 7 and directed the prosecution to produce its witnesses. Previously, the court had indicted 20 other suspects on same charges.

In March, 2015, two suicide attacks were carried out on two churches inside Youhanabad, a Christian dominated locality on Ferozepur Road, Lahore.

The members of the Christian community resorted to violent protest and burnt two Muslim men to death suspecting them the attackers. The two victims were later identified as Babar Noman, a garment worker, and Hafiz Naeem, a glass cutter, of the same locality.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2016