Christian Pakistan Community 125 Houses Burned Over Blasphemy

Christian Pakistan Community 125 Houses Burned Over Blasphemy ---


20 police injured, 2 churches, 160 homes burned March 9, 2013 Christian Pakistan Community 125 Houses Burned Over Blasphemy Sanitary worker and Christian, Sawan Masih, was charged with blasphemy. 3 days later, police warned Christians to leave their homes in the  Badami Bagh area of Lahore Pakistan. A mob of 3,000 or 7,000 broke in, ransacked and burned down the neighborhood.  "At least 160 houses, 18 shops and two small churches were burnt by so-called protesters," the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP),Dr Ahmad Raza told AFP

*Sources

125 Christian houses burnt over blasphemy Dawn  MAR 09, 2013 10:02PM LAHORE: A mob enraged over alleged blasphemy set on fire a number of houses belonging to Christians in Badami Bagh on Saturday.... no casualty as members of the Christian community, including women and children, had left the neighbourhood on Friday night after police advised them to do so. A church and several shops were also torched by the mob. Police put the number of burnt houses at 125. Around 25 were arrested....  As soon as businessmen saw the mob, they shuttered their shops and warehouses.... Witnesses and police said an angry crowd ransacked and burnt the entire locality comprising 175 small houses, a day after all Christian families left the area because police had alerted them to the possibility of an attack. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif issued orders for suspension of two police officers and for making two others OSD. City SP (Operations) Multan Khan, who was made OSD, said the arson attacks began at around 11:30am and up to 7,000 people took part in it.

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rt: Around 3,000 Muslim protesters took part in multiple simultaneous arsons of Christian homes, that belonged to low to middle-class families from the minority community Police say 25 houses were burnt, but witnesses put the number at far more than one hundred.

"At least 160 houses, 18 shops and two small churches were burnt by protesters," the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP),Dr Ahmad Raza told AFP, as he was busy in rescue operations in the area.

...officials say 20 policemen were slightly injured during clashes, as they dispersed protestors from the neighborhood.

Sanitary worker and Christian, Sawan Masih, was charged with blasphemy by nearby residents after allegedly making humiliating remarks about Prophet Mohammed in a private conversation with barber Shahid Imran, three days prior to the act of vandalism, according to police official Multan Khan. It was Imran who is said to have complained of Masih’s behaviour.