ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court expressed sadness on Tuesday that state functionaries have gotten frightened by troublemakers who use the law to push their goal by inciting people to harm the properties of members of religious minorities, hence advancing the culprits’ objective.
A three-member panel led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa heard the case of the unfortunate Jaranwala event on August 16, 2023, in which several churches and over a dozen residences belonging to the Christian community were destroyed and damaged.
“To stop barbaric, inhumane, and vicious incidents, the state must act quickly, and courts grasped with cases of attacks and vandalism of properties of various faiths have to attend to and conclude the same on an urgent basis for quick deterrence to prevent such incidents in the future,” the Supreme Court order stated.
The CJP rejected the In addition Advocate General of Punjab’s police report on the Jaranwala a tragic tale, noting that it lacked relevant information such as FIR registration, number of individuals nominated, position of those cases, identities of the appropriate courts where instances were pending, and progress made thus far.
He stated that the method in which the inquiry was conducted, as well as the apparent delay demonstrated by law enforcement organizations in identifying the perpetrators, would bring discredit to the police force.
CJP requests a fresh inquiry report within two weeks.
“It appears that the law enforcement agencies were not interested in bringing the culprits to book instead of becoming intimidated at the hands of the offenders,” the SC order stated, adding that if such a condition was allowed to continue, those who provided out by the state would make the country unlivable.
During the court, SP (Investigations) admitted that individuals responsible for the Jaranwala attacks were affiliated with the TLP.
The court also gave stern warnings to the provincial police and instructed them to conduct a comprehensive investigation again in order to prosecute with the energy they deserve, or face suspension for failing to execute duties. The police were expected to provide an exhaustive report within two weeks by undertaking forensic analysis of mobile phones to identify culprits, according to the SC ruling.
All citizens have the same status and rights, and hence are entitled to religious freedom, according to the Supreme Court judgment, which also mentions the tendency of troublemakers to incite people to attack non-Muslim religious sites for ulterior motives.
It directed the Punjab government to provide a report outlining any reconstruction work done to damaged assets and compensation paid thus far.
The court also remarked that Gurdwaras for the Sikh community, Hindu temples, and other religious sites of worship under the supervision of the Evacuee Trust Properties Board (ETPB) were not being adequately maintained.
It directed the ETPB to post a comprehensive list of properties on its website, which should be accessible to everybody. The whole material should be divided into two sections: places where worship was done and places of historical value.
The information should include the names of the places, photos, the complete position with longitude and latitude, the total area of the land, and where the place is located, as required by Section 4(2)(a) of the ETPB legislation, which requires a complete and authentic record of such sites. In this regard, all revenue authorities and other departments in the country will support the ETPB, and if the subject property is in litigation, it will be stated in the report. This exercise ought to be finished within six weeks, according to the SC order.
The Supreme Court ordered the Centre and Pemra to produce a report outlining guidelines or instructions granted to the digital media to broadcast public service messages, namely to discourage violence, sectarianism, extremism, and hatred in society, as well as how the same were implemented.
The court also issued notifications to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Attorney General of Pakistan, and top law authorities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to submit a set of recommendations in this respect.
SOURE: DAWN NEWS
