Lahore: In a gruesome incident, a Christian couple on Tuesday thrashed and burned alive by a group of angry Muslims in Pakistan's Punjab province for allegedly desecrating the Koran. The horrific crime was reported from the villages of Kot Radha Kishan Kasur district, about 50 kilometers from here. A large number of police personnel were deployed at the village to provide security to the minority community.
Emaneul Sarfraz, a relative of the deceased partner, said his cousins - Shahzad Masih, 35, and his wife Shamah, 31, - had been working on the furnace Muhammad Yousuf Gujjar for some time near Chak (village) 59 . the couple, along with their four children wanted to leave the kiln as Yousuf was not paying their fees. Demanded Rs 5,00,000 of them, if they wanted to quit.
Two days ago, after an exchange of words Yousuf blocked the couple along with their children in a room, Emaneul said. He said an announcement was made on Tuesday two mosques in Chak Shahzad Masih 59 and his wife had committed blasphemy by burning pages of the Quran.
A large number of Muslims led by clerics area reached the oven and dragged the couple in the room after breaking into her. They were first tortured and then thrown in the oven. No one in the crowd heard the couple, who were pleading their innocence as Yousuf had leveled false accusation of blasphemy against them money to settle disputes, Emanuel said, adding, Thank God no children of the couple are burned. He alleged that the police had come near post time, but did not intervene to watch the crowd charged.
Chairman of the Commission on Human Liberation Sahotra Aslam said Pakistan visited the hospital in the Kasur district headquarters and saw the remains of a couple. It was all ashes and some bones of the couple is left buried, he said. Sahotra said there was tension in the area as most of minorities in Chak 59 and adjacent villages Kalarakabad had left their homes for fear of reprisals. He said police were yet to register a murder case against Yousuf and others involved in the bloody incident. We are not satisfied with the steps the police have been taken to provide security to Christians in the area, he said.
However, Qamar said the police operation was conducted in the villages of Kot Radha Kishan to provide security to Christians and the right of control and order. The police arrived there and control the situation. It is always difficult to control crowd religiously charged, he added. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed the Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmed sukhera to ensure the security of the Christian community. Also constituted a three-member committee headed by the Inspection Team Chairman Chief Minister to investigate the matter.
