Murder charges were included in the Sargodha mob violence first information report after the victim succumbed to his injuries in Rawalpindi’s Combined Military Hospital on Monday.
“Section 7 [punishment for acts of terrorism] of the Anti-Terrorism Act has been registered against over 250 to 300 unidentified men and Section 302 [punishment of qatl-i-amd] of the Pakistan Penal Code case was also included in the FIR today,” Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, the Punjab minorities affairs minister, said in an interview with Spot Light with Munizae Jahangir aired on Aaj News.
He was asked about the investigation into the Sargodha mob violence.
Last month, police arrested 26 people for mob violence and attempt to lynch a Christian man while registering a case against 44 nominated and 300/400 unidentified suspects.
Arora said that at least 28 people have been identified while 34 more suspects would be brought for identification. He added that the investigation was under way and more than 28 suspects have been sent to jail on judicial remand.
He went on to add that most such cases were reported in poverty-stricken areas populated by Christians or Hindus. “It is easy to make accusations,” he said and added that Muslims have also been at the receiving end of blasphemy allegations.
While sharing details of the Sargodha incident, he said that upon visiting the area he came to know that the victim and some people in the area quarrelled two to three days before the incident.
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The Punjab’s minister agreed that the incident did not happen overnight and people in an organised manner gathered for the attack. He added that it was premature to say if any political party was involved in it.
He also mentioned that the Jaranwala report has not been out.
Social activist Lala Daniel Robin, who joined the show via video link, said that he situation was not “normal” in the area.
