Another appalling incident of blasphemy took place in Sargodha, Punjab, accusing a 70-year-old Christian of desecrating the scriptures of the Holy Quran on May 25, 2024. The accused was not only subjected to torture and lynching but also had his house and small shoe-making factory vandalized. The enraged group of fanatics broke into and burned his home and factory, looting shoes from the factory. The police have arrested about 20-25 people and filed cases against 400 unidentified individuals, who may be released on bail later. Sadly, the seriously injured 70-year-old Christian has also been charged with blasphemy due to the pressure from clerics, and his bail is unlikely to see any hearing date. If heard, he shall not be released due to the complications of blasphemy laws and the risk to his life outside of jail. In either case, the charges of blasphemy put pressure on the Christian family, restraining them from speaking out against the unidentified people involved in the violence.
Mastercard East Arabia report projects accelerated economic growth in 2024Moreover, the pattern of mob reactions highlights that seemingly every one in two Pakistanis has symptoms of paranoia or psychosis disorders. This mentality underlies the notion that “Why courts, why not mob courts?” Thus, every instigation ends in a “Mob Court” aimed at justice through assaulting, burning, or killing anyone accused of blasphemy. The mob justifies such violence as an act “For God’s Sake.”
The incident in Sargodha’s Mujahid Colony mirrors the Jaranwala incident, demonstrating Pakistan’s failure to learn from such episodes of mass hysteria. This indicates either the state’s heedlessness towards minority rights or its vested interest in blasphemy politics, which relies on the weak belief systems and illiteracy of the people, followed by extremism. However,........