Pakistani Christians attacked by mob over alleged desecration of Koran

A Muslim crowd attacked a settlement in eastern Pakistan where minority Christians live and also hurled stones and bricks at the police

Blasphemy is a sensitive subject in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where an accusation can lead to a street lynching

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People gather at the scene after a violent mob attacked a Christian community over alleged blasphemy in Sargodha, Pakistan. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:15pm, 25 May 2024

At least five members of a minority Christian community were rescued on Saturday after a Muslim crowd attacked their settlement in eastern Pakistan, police and a community leader said.

The crowd, which accused the Christian group of blasphemy, hurled stones and bricks at the police, said Shariq Kamal, the police chief of Sargodha district.

A large contingent of police cordoned off the settlement, he said, adding that the crowd had been pushed back and five injured Christians had been taken to hospital.

At least one house and a small shoe factory were set on fire by protesters who had gathered after neighbours alleged that the Muslim holy book, the Koran, had been desecrated by a minority community member, according to a police spokesman and Akmal Bhatti, a Christian leader.

“They burned one house and lynched several Christians,” Bhatti aid.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters looting items from burning properties. Others were seen throwing the items in a heap on fire in a street.