‘Bibles desecrated, Christians tortured’: Bishops cry out for help as churches vandalised in Pakistan over blasphemy

Three churches – Salvation Army Church, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church – situated in the Isa Nagri area of Jaranwala tehsil were ransacked by the extremists, a pastor told Pakistan-based Dawn News.

Several churches were vandalised on Wednesday in Pakistan’s Faisalabad over blasphemy allegations. Three churches – Salvation Army Church, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church – situated in the Isa Nagri area of Jaranwala tehsil were ransacked by the extremists, a pastor told Pakistan-based Dawn News. Imran Bhatti, the pastor of the Jaranwala tehsil, said that the house of a Christian cleaner, accused of blasphemy, was also demolished.

Punjab police chief Usman Anwar said the police were negotiating with the protesters and the area had been cordoned off. Anwar said that there were narrow lanes in the area in which small two to three marla churches are located and there was one main church. “They have vandalised portions of the churches,” he said while speaking to Dawn.

The official said that efforts were underway to contain the situation by engaging with peace committees and police across the province had been activated. He also informed that the protesters had also turned against the assistant commissioner of the area, a member of the Christian community. The assistant commissioner has been evacuated, Anwar told Dawn. The Christian leaders, however, alleged that the police remained silent spectators.

Bishop Azad Marshall, President Bishop of the Church of Pakistan, said that the priests and ordinary people were deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident. “A church building is being burnt as I type this message,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been tortured and harassed having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran.”

“We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom.”