"Mischievous" cleric instigated Muslims to attack Christians in Pak

Lahore, July 3 (ANI): A local cleric had instigated communal tension in Bahmniwala village in Kasur District which resulted in Tuesday's incident of loot and attack on Christians, it has been revealed.

Member of the Provincial Assembly, Ahmed Ali Dhillon said a "mischievous" cleric, Qari Latif, had prompted young men to attack Christians for alleged blasphemy.

Over six hundred Muslims attacked Christian houses in the village, looted valuables and tortured Christian men and women ruthlessly, The Daily Times reported.

At least 110 Christian families were forced on to flee the village after the attack. The families sought safety in the fields surrounding their village.

The problem started when a Christian boy, Arif Mashi, was travelling on a tractor and asked a Muslim boy, Muhammad Riaz, to allow him to pass. When Riaz refused, the two quarrelled.

Following this incident, a mob attacked houses of the area's Christian community with petrol-bombs, destroying their electricity meters and thrashing any Christians they found.

On Wednesday, the Muslim community refused to communicate with the Christian community, boycotting their businesses. The Christians who returned to their homes found they had no electricity or drinking water the entire day.

"Despite the presence of police, the mosques continued to urge a complete Christian boycott," said Sohail Johnson, chief coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry.

Human Rights and Minority Affairs Minister Kamran Michael said he had asked officials of the Revenue Department to compile an estimate of the loss suffered by the Christian community. He said justice would be ensured, adding the government would investigate the people responsible for turning the incident into a religious issue.

A committee comprising Christian and Muslim elders of the area, led by Kasur District Coordination Officer (DCO) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, was formed on Wednesday to look into the matter and negotiate a peace deal between the two groups.

The situation in the area remains tense. (ANI)