After blasphemy accusations spark violence, Christians in Pakistan are terrified.

According to reports, a Muslim mob in Pakistan attacked Christian residences and places of worship in Jaranwala city, wreaking havoc all around. On August 16, the attack took place in response to blasphemy accusations. According to reports, the mob targeted homes and churches, resulting in blackened household items, damaged furniture, burned motorbikes, and scorched walls.

After tattered Quranic pages and some pages with derogatory remarks about Islam were discovered close to Rina’s house, the attack started. On one of the papers, the offender’s name, photo, and phone number were revealed. Following a disturbance in the street and the spread of information about the attack on social media, violence broke out. The news of the attack has exacerbated the situation, despite the pastor Rina Javed Bhatti’s encouragement for the community to confront the attacker.

In Pakistan, blasphemy is a touchy subject because in the past, those who were accused of demeaning Islam have been executed or subjected to severe penalties, such as the death penalty. A Sri Lankan factory manager was accused of blasphemy and was lynched in Sialkot city, approximately 200 km north of Jaranwala, in 2021. A mob in Lahore destroyed more than 100 Christian homes in 2013 due to accusations of blasphemy. Rights organisations contend that false allegations, which are typically the result of personal animosity, frequently intensify this kind of violence. Local Christian community leaders are forewarned by Pastor Javed to leave their homes right away in favour of safer locations.

The Christian colony’s residents were forced to flee Jaranwala, which is about 115 kilometres northwest of Punjab’s provincial capital, Lahore. The two communities’ mutual trust was damaged by the violence. In an attempt to diffuse the tension, police convened a meeting between Muslim and Christian leaders; however, the Muslims, who numbered over 500, outnumbered the police. Social media footage of the violence surfaced, depicting dozens of young men storming the Salvation Army Church close to the Christian colony while yelling Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) slogans.