More than 3,000 Muslims rampaged through Joseph Colony, a Christian area of the eastern city of Lahore, on Saturday after allegations that a Christian had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed three days earlier.<\/p>\n
Christians demonstrated in cities around Pakistan on Sunday to protest after a Muslim mob torched more than 100 Christian homes following allegations of blasphemy.
More than 3,000 Muslims rampaged through Joseph Colony, a Christian area of the eastern city of Lahore, on Saturday after allegations that a Christian had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed three days earlier.<\/p>\n
Around 150 people have been arrested, police said, and though no-one was killed the incident highlights the religious tensions affecting Pakistan as it prepares for a general election expected in May, following a spate of deadly attacks on the minority Shiite Muslim community.<\/p>\n
Police and locals said a drunken row between two friends was the trigger for the allegations of blasphemy, a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population are Muslim and even unproven claims can spark public violence.<\/p>\n
In Lahore on Sunday Christians protesting over the attack and demanding greater protection clashed with police, who used batons and tear gas to disperse them after they blocked a busy road, senior police officer Abdul Ghaffar Qaisarani said.<\/p>\n
There were also minor clashes between police and protesters in Karachi and further demonstrations in Islamabad, the central city of Multan and the southwestern city of Quetta.<\/p>\n
The Punjab government initially promised 200,000 rupees ($2,000) compensation to each family affected by the violence, but chief minister Shahbaz Sharif raised this to 500,000 rupees after visiting the scene on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe chief minister declared that the repair work of all the houses would be completed in 72 hours,\u201d a senior Punjab government official said.<\/p>\n
A group of 30 senior Muslim clerics in Lahore issued a fatwa (religious ruling) on Sunday condemning the attack on the Christian community as criminal and un-Islamic, Fazal Karim, the chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council said.<\/p>\n
The senior police official for the area of the attack, Multan Khan, said the trouble began with a row between Sawan Masih, a Christian sanitary worker, and his Muslim friend Shahid Imran.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey used to sit together and drink together almost every evening. They were drunk on Wednesday when they had some arguments,\u201d Khan told reporters on Saturday.<\/p>\n
It was during the argument that Masih allegedly made the blasphemous remarks, Khan said, prompting Imran to report the matter to police.<\/p>\n
Officers arrested the Christian on Friday, but this did not stop a mob assembling to attack Joseph Colony on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
Local resident Altaf Masih, also a sanitary worker, said \u201cwhile they were drunk they had an argument over discussion on religious issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spokeswoman for Punjab police Nabila Ghazanfar said Sunday four senior officers including Khan had been removed from their posts for \u201cnegligence\u201d and “failure to control” the mob.<\/p>\n
Rights campaigners say Pakistan\u2019s strict blasphemy laws, which can carry the death penalty, are often used to settle personal disputes and should be reformed.<\/p>\n
The legislation came under international scrutiny last year after 14-year-old Christian girl Rimsha Masih was held for three weeks in a high security prison for allegedly burning pages from the Koran. The case against her was eventually thrown out.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on the attack for Monday and summoned the chief of police in Punjab and the provincial prosecutor to appear.<\/p>\n
Tahir Ashrafi, president of Pakistani Ulema (religious scholars) Council, condemned the attack saying Islam did not permit such violence.<\/p>\n
On Saturday Pakistan\u2019s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf ordered an inquiry into the attacks.<\/p>\n
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