Over 100 Christians arrested for lynching 2 in Pakistan

Over 100 Christians have been arrested for allegedly being part of a mob that lynched two men after Taliban suicide attacks on two churches in Pakistan’s biggest Christian colony that killed 17 people.

Confirming the arrests, a senior investigation officer said that more than 100 Christian protesters were arrested. They are currently being investigated by the police to determine their role in the protests.

“We first established the identity of the suspects through TV footages, still cameras and other relevant sources before laying a hand on them,” he said.

The usual Sunday mass was underway on March 15 at the Christ Church and Catholic Church of Youhanabad Christian Colony that houses over 100,000 Christians, when two suicide bombers reached there and tried to break in.

When the guards stopped them from entering the churches they blew themselves up at the gates. After the blasts the police had taken two suspects into custody from the site and shifted them to a vehicle when a group of charged youngsters got hold of them.

The enraged mob started thrashing the two suspects and after beating them severely, the mob tied them with a rope and set them on fire. Their charred remains were later found at the site. Later, the suspects’ identity was established as both worked in different shops in Yauhanabad and had no criminal record.

Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan splinter group Jamat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The same group had claimed responsibility of a suicide attack in Wagah border in September last year in which 60 people were killed.