Jaranwala, Sargodha incidents: IGP unveils involvement of foreign entities

LAHORE: Inspector General of Police Punjab Dr Usman Anwar has revealed findings that indicate a foreign conspiracy behind the tragic events in Jaranwala and the blasphemy cases in Sargodha. These findings were unveiled during a press conference on Monday.

Accompanied by RPO Faisalabad Dr Abid Khan, CPO Faisalabad Usman Akram Gondal, RPO Sargodha Shariq Kamal Siddique, and DPO Sargodha Faisal Gulzar, Dr. Usman Anwar shared crucial details.

Dr Usman Anwar started the press conference by hurling a copy of a news item regarding mistreatment of Christian women in Manipur area of India. He also referenced a European Union resolution condemning injustices and violent incidents against minorities, particularly Muslims, in India.

He asserted that hostile foreign entities had orchestrated a coordinated plan to divert attention from their own country’s issues towards Pakistan.

Over 80 Christian homes, 19 churches vandalized

Dr Usman Anwar said the police investigation unveiled connections between the suspects arrested in the Sargodha blasphemy case and these foreign hostile agencies. These connections were discovered through evidence retrieved from the suspects’ mobile phones. It was noted that after committing the heinous act of blasphemy, the suspects openly challenged the community and taunted them to apprehend them. Dr Usman Anwar shared a note left by the suspects as well.

He highlighted that extensive efforts were made to locate the suspects, involving collaboration with the community and religious scholars to maintain peace.

The investigation strategy included identifying locations where Islamic religious books were published and sold, analyzing videos of individuals at these places, and eventually pinpointing and apprehending the suspects. Notably, around 2500 undercover police officers played a significant role in identifying the accused individuals.

Dr Usman Anwar also emphasized that RPO Sargodha Shariq Kamal Siddique personally investigated the suspects and unearthed their connections to hostile agencies.

Additionally, Dr Usman Anwar informed that 180 suspects related to the Jaranwala incident, including three main culprits, have been apprehended. The police employed advanced techniques such as geo-fencing, CCTV monitoring, polygraph tests, artificial intelligence, and human intelligence to achieve these results. He praised the police force, Aman Committee members, and the community for their collective efforts in restoring peace.

The IG Punjab acknowledged that the government not only provided financial aid to the victim community members but also initiated rehabilitation efforts. He highlighted instances where Muslims in Jaranwala offered shelter to community members for protection, underscoring that the actions of an individual should not be generalized to an entire community or nation.

Concluding the conference, Dr Usman Anwar asserted his commitment to ensuring that such incidents don’t occur again. To facilitate swift and fair resolutions to similar incidents across the province, the police have established Meesaq Centres. He pledged to bring the suspects involved in both the Sargodha and Jaranwala incidents to justice through close collaboration with the prosecution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023