In a speech delivered on Monday in JARANWALA, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar promised to bring those responsible for the atrocious atrocities against the country’s minority communities to account.
He told a local gathering of Christians, “We are the followers of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Founder of the Nation (Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah), and it is also binding upon us under the Constitution, which encourages us to respond to such atrocities.”
The prime minister stated that the government would never support those who persecuted minorities and that justice would be served if anyone committed any acts of violence against these groups.
He assured the public that neither society nor the government would flinch in the face of evil, but would instead stand shoulder to shoulder with the communities of victims, becoming the voice of the voiceless in the process.
Prime Minister Kakar declared, “Our actions will speak louder than our speeches.”
The prime minister came to show his support for the Christian community and the relatives of the victims.
Attendees included Balighur Rehman, Governor of Punjab; Mohsin Naqvi, Caretaker Chief Minister; caretaker federal ministers; other top officials; and members of Punjab’s Christian community.
Prime Minister Kakar said those who targeted the Christian community in the region were the enemies of mankind, and that minorities in Pakistan were fighting for the protection of the rights of their communities across the region.
He said the government was promising its backing not because it had to, but because it truly believed in the cause.
The incident in the area reflected a systemic problem in a society beset by extremism, radicalism, and aggressive behavior, he said, and proved that such attitudes belonged to no particular religion, sect, or group but were, rather, a product of human nature that spread like a cancer.
After the caretaker administration took office, an unpleasant incident occurred, which the prime minister expressed regret for.
The Governor of Punjab made a statement at the event, saying that such acts must be stopped and never allowed to happen again, and that all religious buildings deserve to be treated with dignity.
At the time, the prime minister declared that the major players in the crime were already in custody.
He promised that the destroyed churches would be rebuilt and that the victims’ families would get financial compensation.
Earlier, the prime minister also gave out payments to the families who had been affected.
The prime minister visited a church and reaffirmed that no one would be allowed to persecute religious minority on the basis of their beliefs, adding that the government would use all of its power to halt any aggressors.
Deputy Inspectors General of Police Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani and Faisal Ali Raja visited the scene of the incident in Jaranwala separately.
Police officers who were involved in the incident briefed the investigating team.
