44 people identified as police book 500 for Sargodha mob attack on Christian

• Case filed under serious charges including PPC and ATA 1997

SARGODHA: On Sunday, authorities filed charges against 500 as-yet-unidentified people, including 40 women, and 44 participants have already been identified for participating in a mob attack against a Christian resident accused of blasphemy the day before in the Mujahid colony.

The official report of the event, filed a few hours after the confrontation, lists nearly 500 armed individuals with unclear identities and refers to various serious criminal charges, including 324 (attempted murder), 186 (obstructing public officials ), 353 (attack on civil servants). on duty), 436 (arson intended to destroy dwelling), 440 (arson endangering life) and 149 (membership in unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Additionally, charges were brought against these individuals under sections 7 (punishments for terrorism) and 11WW (mob lynching) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.

The written report by Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Iqbal details how a mob, armed with crude weapons, converged on the residence of the alleged victim in an attempt to force entry.

The police officers were tasked with rescuing the accused and two other Christian homes targeted by the mob who intended to lynch him and break into neighboring Christian residences.

The alarming situation arose following the discovery of scorched pages near electric poles and near the residences of Christian families.

According to the official report, the mob set fire to a nearby shoe workshop and attempted to gain access to the victim's home through nearby rooftops. Reports also include vandalism to electrical units and air conditioning units before setting the victim's house on fire.

SHO Iqbal, alongside other officers, managed to extract the man from his burning house. Nevertheless, the crowd surrounded them and attacked them with stones and batons, inflicting serious injuries on the Christian.

The official account emphasizes that women were among those agitating the crowd and encouraging aggressive behavior.

Rizwan Younus Gill, the victim's nephew, told reporters that his family member was in good health, denying any rudeness and attributing the confrontation to a recent heated conflict involving TLP supporters, which had apparently been resolved.

District Police Officer (DPO) Assad Ejaz Malhi hailed police chief Aneesur Rehman as a brave savior for confronting the mob to protect Christian residents. He noted the deployment of more police forces across the city to protect the Christian community.

A communication on “Police officers continually monitor Christian places of worship with vigilance,” the statement said.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mohammad Faisal Kamran reviewed the security details of the church in Lahore and found the measures satisfactory, as stated in a briefing from his office on X.