Home » News » Pakistan: Mass exodus as mobs burn churches and homes

Pakistan: Mass exodus as mobs burn churches and homes

UP to 15 church buildings have been attacked and hundreds of Christian homes destroyed after extremists went on the rampage in Pakistan.

Christians from the Punjab town of Jaranwala, near Faisalabad, fled en masse as fanatics began throwing rocks and stones and setting fire to buildings.

The incident follows an accusation of blasphemy against a Christian cleaner accused of desecrating the Qur’an and insulting the Prophet of Islam.

Burnt church and burning furniture on the street
Burnt church and burning furniture on the street

Speaking today (Wednesday) to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the charity for persecuted Christians, Father Abid Tanveer, vicar general of Faisalabad Catholic diocese, reported back from a visit to Jaranwala where he said it was still unsafe.

“This situation has been very terrifying. The Christians are very scared. Please pray for our people, pray that their lives may be protected.

“So many people have lost their belongings, everything. They don’t know what to do or where to go.”

One Christian cleric said up to 2,000 people had so far fled their homes.

Father Tanveer reported that 13 churches belonging to different Christian denominations had been attacked, a number of them torched, as well as a catechist’s house and a parish house.

He said that Father Khalid, parish priest of St Paul’s, Jaranwala, had to lock himself inside the parish house as extremists surrounded it shouting and demanding he come out.

Eventually they left enabling the priest to leave and shortly after the attackers returned and torched baptismal, marriage and death certificates held in the parish office.

According to local witnesses contacted by ACN, the attackers began throwing furniture out into the streets while calling for the murder of the alleged blasphemer.

One ACN contact in Faisalabad said messages from mosques sent out on loudspeaker were calling on local people to “go out and kill” Christians.

A Christian in Faisalabad told ACN: “It is absolutely terrifying. We do not know what is going to happen next.”

Another leading Pakistan clergy from Faisalabad said: “We totally condemn this act of brutal terrorism.

“The people who attack innocent Christians and burned their homes have a mindset of terrorism.”

As yet, there have been no reports of deaths.

Christians from Jaranwala began leaving their homes as early as 5am this morning after local Muslims warned them an attack was coming.

A senior priest told ACN that the threat had not passed and people remained “very frightened”.

“We are so grateful for your concern and your prayers. Please keep praying for us.”

Father Tanveer said additional police had been deployed but there was no guarantee the situation would be brought under control because the extremists were well armed and were still intent on violence in response to the alleged incident of blasphemy.

Don't miss the latest updates!

Gaza: First step towards peace after 733 days of war

While indirect talks are taking place in Egypt between Israeli…

Rome to host official launch of Religious Freedom Report 2025

Religious and public leaders will be gathering on October 21…

Papal envoy carries solidarity to the Christians of war-torn Sudan

Archbishop Séamus Patrick Horgan, Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan, has…

In the east of Burkina Faso, still many problems as term starts

While the security situation in Burkina Faso has improved slightly,…

From Angola to Vietnam, enthusiasm with “One million children praying the Rosary” campaign

ACN’s yearly campaign, added to the Holy Father’s appeal to…

Church clings to life amid chaos in Gaza

Aid to the Church in Need echoes Pope Leo XIV’s…

List of News

Gaza: First step towards peace after 733 days of war

While indirect talks are taking place in Egypt between Israeli envoys and Hamas, the hope for a beginning of peace is cautiously laying roots in the diocese of the Holy...

Fr Hugo Alaniz recounts a night of explosions and fear in Aleppo: “People are very afraid, we don’t know what is going to happen”

In the midst of a new wave of fighting, the Argentine priest describes hours of anguish in Aleppo. His parish has once again become a refuge for dozens of families....

Rome to host official launch of Religious Freedom Report 2025

Religious and public leaders will be gathering on October 21 at the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome for the worldwide presentation of the latest edition of the Report on...