The latest victim of religious violence in Pakistan is Nazir Masih, a 72-year-old Christian man from Mujahid Colony, Sargodha, the capital of Sargodha Division., Punjab. A large, angry mob of Muslims gathered at his house after he was accused of blasphemy. Posts on social media show that even teenagers and children were in the mob.

Nazir Masih was severely beaten, and his home and business were set ablaze. He is currently in a hospital in a critical condition. The mob intended the same fate for his family. They managed to escape the violence but tragically his son’s shoe shop was set on fire by the mob.

Only a handful of people tried to stop the attackers while several Punjabi police officers were seen in the mob not intervening. It was only after the elderly man was beaten that the police were properly deployed and managed to disperse the mob. Several officers were also injured. The police filed almost 500 reports against the participants under the Terrorism Act.

As a consequence of the attack, many Christians decided to leave the area, fearing for their lives because of the violent atmosphere.

Church leaders raised their voices against the attack. They expressed concerns that it could happen again and that the government and law enforcement agencies are not able to prevent extremism and religious violence. Even though the Supreme Court gave directives to protect minorities, including religious ones, they are still vulnerable to such violence.

Source: Asia News

Photo: Organiser