Naqvi’s statement came after the Jaranwala violence on August 16 where a charged mob attacked churches and houses of the minority community following reports of alleged desecration of the Holy Quran.

He said in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Friday’s sermons across Punjab would focus on the rights of minorities, teachings from the holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“Amid challenging times, let’s emphasize that such incidents should not be coloured by religion. Interfaith harmony is among the basic teachings of Islam,” he said.

Naqvi added that he was grateful to religious scholars for their patience and support in “unmasking” those seeking to disrupt the nation’s peace.

Earlier, Naqvi vowed to rebuild all churches and homes vandalised by the mob and said the police were taking careful efforts to arrest culprits of incidents.

On Friday, commercial activities restarted in Jaranwala district Faisalabad as normalcy was returning to the area. But law enforcement agencies personnel were patrolling the area to maintain order.

People belonging to the Christian community were returning to their homes, sources told Aaj News. While efforts were under way to arrest the culprits.

A statement from the police stated that over 100 people who were part of the mobs that vandalised churches and homes had been arrested. The main suspect who incited the mobs has also been arrested.