SW News: In Pakistan, leaders of Christian churches and human rights activists have criticized the claim of police that the anti-Christian riots were linked to a foreign conspiracy. They are also deploring the arrests of certain Christians from riot-affected Jaranwala. anti-Christian rioting in Jaranwala amid illegal arrests of area Christians and a police claim of a “foreign conspiracy” to create religious strife, sources said.

According to Church of Pakistan President Bishop Azad Marshall, the claim of Punjab Police Inspector General Usman Anwar that there was a foreign conspiracy behind the incidents in Jaranwala was ludicrous and “an attempt to bury the facts as has been the past practice in all such incidents”.

Irate Muslim mobs attacked churches and houses of Christians in Jaranwala on August 16 after two Christian brothers were accused of blasphemy. There are allegations that as several churches were torched and houses and businesses of Christians were ransacked, the police remained a mute witness. Usman told the media that the riots and the desecration of a Koran in Sargodha on August 19 were orchestrated by neighboring India to deflect attention from the violence against Christians in the country.

The bishop also slammed the arrests of Christians in Jaranwala saying the police are trying to put pressure on the victims and prevent them from filing charges against those responsible for the riots. “We hope the Lahore High Court will admit our petition and form a judicial commission for a thorough and transparent investigation of the incident,” Marshall told Morning Star News.

“We do not trust the joint investigation teams formed by the government, as the police chief’s press conference has laid bare the government’s intention to sweep the facts under the rug. This attitude is unacceptable to Christians.”

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Focus Pakistan has condemned in strong terms the attacks on Christian believers in Jaranwala. The group also expressed grave concern over the recent threats facing Christians in connection with the riots. It also issued a statement in which more than 21 churches were torched along with 100-plus houses. Thousands of Christians were forced to seek shelter elsewhere during the riots.

"Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) highly condemns the attack on Pastor Eliezer Sidhu alias Vicky after the Jaranwala (Faisalabad) Churches and Christians attack over false blasphemy allegations," the HRFP said in a statement.