ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court rejected the police report on Jaranwala incident, saying no relevant information was provided about the FIRs registered against the miscreants, and what is the stage of their cases.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard the case of Jaranwala incident.
It noted that it is not clear how many persons were nominated, and though the challans of the incident have been submitted in the courts under Section 193 of the CrPC, but it is not clear what is the stage of the cases and names of the courts where the cases are pending.
The court said the State must have acted expeditiously; it must have shown the priority and have concluded its trial to forestall such attack on minority communities’ houses, and places of worship.
It said the report was unsatisfactory and therefore, dismissed it. The report has not shown the manner and has even not identified who the attackers were and to which party they were associated with. It appears they have no intention to bring to book the real culprits. It also appears they are intimidated by the miscreants.
The bench issued the warning in the strongest terms and demanded a thorough investigation of the matter and rigorous perusal of the matter. It expected that the policemen found involved in the incident be suspended or removed. It directed that a thorough report in such terms be submitted on the next date.
The Punjab government was directed to submit a report regarding the construction and the reconstruction done by the government itself and the compensation paid to those who have reconstructed or built their houses, damaged by the mob during the Jaranwala incident.
The notice is also issued to the attorney general for Pakistan, advocate general of Punjab and to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, asking the ministry to share the report if they have regarding creating inter-faith harmony in the society.
About the Jaranwala incident, the Court said vicious attacks were launched on churches, houses, and graveyard of the Christians of Jaranwala on 16th August 2023.
The court noted that the attacks on large scales arise on account of lack of education, hatred, and suspicion; and the miscreant used religion to attack the properties, and worship places of minorities. These matters are such that need to be tackled by society as a whole. The considerable responsibility rests on federal and provincial governments to encourage interfaith and social harmony dialogue and rightly denounce when non-Muslims’ houses and worship places come under attack. All citizens of Pakistan deserve to be treated equally and the respect comes from the constitution.
During the proceeding, the leaders of the Sikh community informed the Court that Gurdwaras and Mandirs which are in the control of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) are no being preserved. They apprised that there are two categories of Gurdwara and Mandir; one is the place of worship, while the others are very old and have become historical heritage.
The Court noted that such categories need to be protected and preserved not only for the adherence to faith but also to demonstrate the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan. The representative of the ETPB said that the places of worship properties of Sikhs and Hindus have been completed and finalised. He also submitted the voluminous report.
The Court noted that the report appears to be a simple list of properties, which are managed by the ETPB. The chief justice told the ETPB representative that the Court requires that the separate categories of Gurdwaras and the Mandirs and the places associated with their religions, but managed by the Board. The bench, therefore, directed him to do the needful and put up such information on the ETPB’s website, so that it is accessible to everyone.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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