Mob attacks on Christian churches and homes in Pakistan set off by false implication, police say

Source: Associated Press

Mob attacks on Christian churches and homes in Pakistan set off by false implication, police say

BY ASIM TANVEER
Updated 4:05 AM EDT, September 4, 2023

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Last month’s mob attacks on churches and homes of Christians in eastern Pakistan erupted after three Christians threw the pages of Islam’s holy book outside the house of two others to falsely implicate them in a blasphemy case due to a personal dispute, police said Monday.

The three detained suspects confessed to conspiring and throwing Quran pages outside Raja Amir’s house, three police officials said. Amir and his brother had been arrested after they were accused by Muslims of desecrating the Quran.

The suspected mastermind was Pervez Kodu, who thought Amir had an affair with his wife and knew Muslims would target Amir if Kodu had thrown the pages outside his house to give the impression Amir had desecrated the holy book, three police officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media on the record. They said the three men now face charges of causing violence and falsely implicating Amir and his brother in a blasphemy case.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-arrest-suspect-churches-attacked-5924f73ddb5b60f0d65714baeab598f6