NUNTIATORIA

Two Years On: No Justice for Christians After Jaranwala Atrocities

Faisalabad, Pakistan (August 2025) — Two years since the bloodshed that Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has termed “the worst episode of violence against Christians” in Pakistan’s history, the Christian community in the Diocese of Faisalabad remains in the throes of unresolved grief and anger.

On 16 August 2023, mobs in Jaranwala rioted, torching over 25 churches and 80 homes belonging to Christians, along with presbyteries, church halls, and graveyards¹². Despite more than 5,200 individuals being accused and over 380 arrests made—with many suspects later granted bail—not a single conviction has been secured. In June 2025, a local Anti-Terrorism Court acquitted 10 defendants accused of setting fire to one of the churches³⁴. Christians continue to bear the scars of attack and the sting of judicial inaction.

Bishop Indrias Rehmat denounces this failure: *“Justice has not been done… the police have not done their duty. Nobody has been punished… At this stage, we do not see any hope of any culprit being punished”*². Yet, from despair has emerged resilience: Christians are “ready to fight for their rights… we should shout and scream,” he declares².

What makes the injustice all the more bitter is that the only convictions related to the crisis were against Christians themselves—Rocky and Raja Masih—who were initially accused of blasphemy, ostensibly triggering the mob violence, only to be acquitted later². Thus, while Christians remain victims, they also risk being cast, unjustly, as perpetrators.

Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan: A History of Persecution

Origins and Misuse
British colonial authorities first introduced blasphemy laws in the early 20th century, following inter-religious riots over religious defamation. Under General Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s, the laws were drastically expanded—most notably Section 295-C, mandating the death penalty for alleged insults to the Prophet Muhammad⁵. Since then, minorities, particularly Christians, have borne the brunt of accusations and extrajudicial reprisals.

Case Study: Asia Bibi
One of the most infamous cases is that of Asia Bibi, a Catholic mother accused in 2009 of blasphemy after a dispute over drinking water. In 2010, she was sentenced to death by a district court⁶⁷.

Her case drew international attention. In January 2011, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was assassinated by his own bodyguard for defending her, while Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti was gunned down two months later for his opposition to the blasphemy laws⁶.

On 31 October 2018, Pakistan’s Supreme Court overturned Asia Bibi’s sentence, citing “material contradictions and inconsistent statements of the witnesses”⁸. The verdict sparked massive unrest, with extremist protests, school closures, and road blockades⁹. She was eventually forced into exile and received asylum in Canada by May 2019¹¹¹².

Conclusion
The Jaranwala case underscores a recurring pattern: Pakistan’s judiciary and law enforcement, constrained by political pressure and societal prejudice, often fail to protect Christian minorities. When Christians face accusations, however fabricated, the consequences are swift and severe; when Christians are the victims, justice evaporates in silence.

The Asia Bibi case remains emblematic: a false accusation escalating to death sentence, violent unrest, and eventual exile. Yet in that tragedy is also a lesson: international solidarity and courage can still uphold justice, though imperfectly.

Catholics worldwide must hear the cry of Faisalabad’s faithful: How long, O Lord? (Ps. 94:3). The persecuted Church in Pakistan is a living witness to the mystery of the Cross — and thus also to the promise of the Resurrection.

1. Aid to the Church in Need, report on Jaranwala attacks, August 2023.
2. ACI Prensa / Catholic News Agency, “No justice two years after worst episode of violence against Christians in Pakistan,” Aug. 21, 2025.
3. Premier Christian News, “Court acquits suspects in Jaranwala church arson,” June 2025.
4. Christian Today, “Two years on, no convictions for Jaranwala violence,” June 2025.
5. SAHSOL LUMS, The Evolution and Abuse of Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws (Lahore University of Management Sciences, 2020).
6. “Asia Bibi blasphemy case,” Wikipedia, last updated 2025.
7. Axios, “Pakistan acquits Christian woman facing death penalty for blasphemy,” Oct. 31, 2018.
8. Supreme Court of Pakistan judgment in Asia Bibi v. State, Oct. 2018.
9. Time Magazine, “Pakistan blasphemy acquittal sparks nationwide protests,” Nov. 2018.
10. Ibid.
11. Al Jazeera, “Asia Bibi arrives in Canada after blasphemy ordeal,” May 8, 2019.
12. Time Magazine, “Trudeau confirms Canada offered asylum to Asia Bibi,” Nov. 2018.

Timeline of Christian Persecution in Pakistan

1987–2021
Over 1,800 people charged under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, disproportionately affecting Christians and other minorities.¹
1997 – Shantinagar
Entire Christian village attacked after false allegations of Qur’an desecration. Churches and homes destroyed.²
2009 – Gojra Riots
A mob burned eight Christians alive after accusations of blasphemy.³
2009 – Asia Bibi Arrested
Accused of blasphemy in Sheikhupura after a dispute over drinking water. Sentenced to death in 2010.⁴
2011 – Assassinations
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer and Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti killed for opposing blasphemy laws and defending Asia Bibi.⁴
2015 – Youhanabad Bombings
Suicide bombers targeted two churches in Lahore’s Christian quarter, killing 15 and injuring over 70. Retaliatory violence erupted against Muslims.⁵
2018 – Asia Bibi Acquitted
Supreme Court overturns her death sentence. Riots paralyze Pakistan; she later flees to Canada in 2019.⁶
2021 – Sialkot Lynching
A Sri Lankan Christian factory manager accused of blasphemy beaten to death and burned by a mob. Widely condemned internationally.⁷
2023 – Jaranwala Pogrom
Mobs attack Faisalabad Diocese, burning 25 churches and 80 homes. No convictions two years later.⁸

1. ACN, “Pakistan: Blasphemy Laws and Minorities,” 2021.
2. Human Rights Watch, Pakistan: State Fails Christian Village After Blasphemy Riots, 1997.
3. Amnesty International, Gojra Attacks on Christians, 2009.
4. Asia Bibi blasphemy case (Wikipedia, updated 2025).
5. BBC News, “Lahore church bombings: Christian protests erupt,” March 2015.
6. Axios, “Pakistan acquits Christian woman facing death penalty,” Oct. 31, 2018.
7. BBC News, “Pakistan Sialkot lynching: Mob kills Sri Lankan,” Dec. 2021.
8. ACI Prensa / CNA, “No justice two years after worst episode of violence against Christians in Pakistan,” Aug. 21, 2025.