In less than a year of the Jaranwala horror, the Christian community in Pakistan is once again reeling under the threat to their very existence in the Islamic Republic. The latest ordeal was witnessed in Sargodha, where a Christian man was nearly lynched, his belongings were looted and his shoe factory was set ablaze, all because he was accused of blasphemy.
Even more concerning is the role of authorities in Pakistan, which has not only become a mute spectator during such incidents but also try to sweep the issue under the carpet, a Pakistani norm which was evident in Jaranwala also.
Pak media hesitant to name TLP
Pakistani media by and large projected it as an attack by an agitated mob against blasphemy, ignoring the fact that the mob largely comprised the extremists of Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP).
The police are now busy arresting perpetrators, 44 have been identified. But how Pakistan’s law and order works is no hidden fact. The point here is that Nazir Masih’s house, factory, and entire Mujahid colony, where he lived, were vandalised in front of the police but no action was taken and so this FIR and all follow-up investigation is just a pretence of law enforcement.
The ordeal didn’t end here, after nearly killing Masih, the TLP extremists then turned towards the ambulance he was taken to the hospital in. They attacked it with bricks and vandalised it to prevent Masih from being taken to the hospital.
Blasphemy: Pakistani law, policing by mob
Notably, the Blasphemy law in Pakistan provisions the death sentence for the accused. Surprisingly, no accused has been legally sentenced so far; however, scores of them are lynched by the radicalised mob.
This clearly tells that Pakistan is hell for minorities. A large section of society, the dominant political force and authorities all are guided by Islamic fundamentalism which advocates for the purge of religious minorities and considers it a sacred duty to Islamise them.