Pakistan's Christian community has been left fearing for their safety after three claims of blasphemy within a month saw crowds of Muslim protesters gathering to call for "severe punishments" for blasphemers.
The protests occurred in the district of Sargodha, Punjab, after a retired Pakistan Air Force officer reported finding a pamphlet containing blasphemous content on his way home from morning prayers.
Mohd Abdul Gaffar, who was accompanied by a local iman and another man, alleged that the pamphlet contained derogatory comments and illustrations regarding revered Islamic figures, as well as support for the recent burning of the Quran in Sweden.
News of the discovery rapidly spread around the local community, drawing people from far and wide to express their anger and frustration. As tensions rose throughout the day, protesters chanted slogans calling for death for blasphemers, according to the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS). They also blocked roads as they demanded swift action against the culprits.
Police soon arrived at the scene, seeking to calm the crowd, and responding to their demands by registering an official case against unknown individuals under sections 295A, 295B, 295c, and 298A of the Pakistani Penal Code, which cover blasphemy.
Despite the police action preventing an attack on local Christians, who make up approximately 5,000 of the local population, a sense of fear still pervades the Christian community.
According to CLAAS, the event marked the third such incident in the Sargodha district this month, and some people believe that individuals may be exploiting the Swedish Quran burning as an excuse to incite violence against local Christians—who have consistently distanced themselves from the event.
Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, expressed his deep concern over the events, pointing out the rising gravity of the situation in Pakistan and the deepening anti-Christian sentiment.
"The unknown identities of the culprits are cause for alarm, and it is unfortunate that fingers are being pointed towards Christians", Mr Saaed said.
Attacks on Christians are not uncommon in Pakistan, ranging from imprisonment on spurious grounds, to murder. These latest events have underlined concerns that blasphemy laws may be misused to falsely target Christians, with calls for the government to ensure that they are not.
