In a rare show of Christian solidarity in Pakistan, victims of August 2023 Islamist attacks on Christians ended an unprecedented 17-day sit-in on Tuesday (Sept. 2) after government assurances of justice.
Addressing the demonstrators, the convener of the Victims Committee of Jaranwala, Lala Robin Daniel, said the sit-in marked the first time in Pakistan’s history that Christians had staged such an extended protest for their rights.
“Christians have suffered over 13 mob attacks on their neighborhoods over the years, but never before have they raised their voices for justice,” Daniel told those protesting lack of justice following Aug. 16, 2023 attacks in the Jaranwala area of Punjab Province. “It is for the first time in this country’s history that within a radius of 10 kilometers, protests were held not only in streets but also in graveyards and churches.”
The sit-in was also the first time that Christians, especially women, participated in the protests while fasting, leaving behind daily chores to ensure their voices were heard, he said. Daniel said the Christians of Jaranwala were forced to protest because their pleas for justice and compensation for losses had fallen on deaf ears.
“We were compelled to take the matters into our own hands because those who claim that they are advocating for us hold meetings in five-star hotels in Lahore and Faisalabad while remaining oblivious to the situation on the ground,” he said.
None of the supposed advocates have visited the homes of victims to check whether they have received the compensation money or to find out the status of their legal cases, Daniel said.
“These people clad in suits and robes have been holding ceremonial meetings with the government officials just for photo-ops and to make money in our names, which is why the government also did not take them seriously,” he said. “Our demand from day one is that the government should engage with us directly.”
The community leader said that when the government approached them for talks, three women victims were included in the negotiation committee along with other nominated representatives so that they could highlight the challenges they continued to face in their daily life.
“We were summoned to Faisalabad where seven or eight people from a federal government institution were present for a meeting with us,” Daniel said. “They told us that the government has taken notice of our demands and assured us that we will start seeing the results starting from that. They did not even ask us to end our protest, unlike the district administration, which has been pressuring us to call it off.”
The victims’ committee unanimously decided to suspend the sit-in in view of assurances by federal officials, along with consideration of torrential rains and flooding in the country.
“However, if we do not see any change in our situation, we will restart the protest with more vigor,” he warned.
A women protestor addressing the gathering said Christians of Jaranwala were disappointed by the government’s inaction against the perpetrators of violence.
“The state should know that we will not rest until we get justice,” she said, urging participants to keep praying and remain united in their struggle for their rights.
The protest, organized by the Victims Committee Jaranwala and the Minority Rights Movement Pakistan, began on Aug. 16 at Christian Colony in Jaranwala.
None of the perpetrators have been convicted after they ransacked and damaged more than 25 church buildings and 85 homes of Christians in Jaranwala Tehsil of Faisalabad District, on Aug. 16, 2023. The frenzied mob of thousands of Muslims attacked after two Christian brothers were accused of writing blasphemous content and desecrating the Quran.
The attack drew nationwide condemnation, and more than 300 Muslims were arrested for the riots; most were either bailed out or discharged due to defective police investigation. On June 4, an anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad acquitted 10 named suspects involved in burning a church building and ransacking a Christian’s home during the violence.
The petitioner’s lawyer blamed police for the acquittals despite strong evidence against the suspects. Similar verdicts are expected in the remaining cases related to the attacks, he previously told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
Of 5,213 suspects apprehended in the Jaranwala riots, 380 were arrested while 4,833 remained at large one year after the attacks, according to Amnesty International; 228 of the arrested suspects were released on bail and 77 others had the charges against them dropped, according to Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for South Asia.
He added at that time, “despite the authorities’ assurances of accountability, the grossly inadequate action has allowed a climate of impunity for the perpetrators of the Jaranwala violence.”
Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan, and those found guilty of insulting Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out death sentences for blasphemy, often the accusation alone can spark riots and incite mobs to violence.
The two Christian brothers in Jaranwala were acquitted of the blasphemy charges after an anti-terrorism court found that they had been framed by another Christian following a personal dispute.
Pakistan ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.
