IGP sees foreign conspiracy in Jaranwala, Sargodha cases

LAHORE: Inspector General of Punjab Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar finds traces of a foreign conspiracy behind the Jaranwala tragedy and Sargodha blasphemy cases to divert attention from the ill-treatment of the Christian community in India.

He shared the details during a press conference at his office flanked by RPO Faisalabad Dr Abid Khan, CPO Faisalabad Usman Akram Gondal and RPO Sargodha Shariq Kamal Siddique and DPO Sargodha Faisal Gulzar.

Usman Anwar started the presser hurling a copy of a news item regarding the mistreatment of Christian women in the Manipur area of India. He also shared another news item of a resolution by the European Union against injustices, violent incidents against Muslim and other minorities in India. He asserted that hostile agencies had hatched a conspiracy to divert the attention from their country towards Pakistan.

He said that police during their investigations had found that both suspects arrested in the Sargodha blasphemy case had links with hostile agencies. “We found the evidence from their mobile phones. The suspects after committing the horrible offence of blasphemy had challenged the community to avenge it and nab them,” he said and also shared a note by the suspects.

The IG Punjab said that police had made a hectic effort to trace the suspects. “Police officers engaged the community as well religious scholars to maintain peace. First of all they searched and pointed out places where Muslim religious books were published followed by where these were sold. Police collected the videos of the people who had visited both places. This involved a tedious job. The investigation officers pointed out the suspects and finally arrested them,” he added. He revealed a role of 2,500 policemen in plainclothes in pinpointing the accused persons.

Usman Anwar said that RPO Sargodha Shariq Kamal Siddique himself investigated the suspects and found traces of their contacts with hostile agencies. He continued that police have arrested 180 suspects involved in the Jaranwala incident including three prime characters using geo-fencing, CCTV monitoring, polygraphic test, artificial intelligence, human intelligence and other scientific techniques.

He appreciated the role of police, Aman Committee members and community members in controlling the situation and restoring peace. He added that the government had not only helped financially the victim community members but also started rehabilitation work. He also said that Muslims in Jaranwala incidents offered their houses for protection to community members. He also said that an incident of an individual was not tantamount to an action of the whole community. A blast by a Muslim does not mean the involvement of the whole community in the act, he added.

He said that Muslims can never tolerate disrespect to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Quran and religious places but Islam also does not allow taking law into own hands and attacking minority members. He stressed for not being trapped by the enemy’s conspiracy. He said that in war the enemy’s plans should be thwarted strategically. He resolved that such incidents would not happen again as police had established Meesaq Centres across the province to deal with such incidents. He expressed his resolve to bring the suspects involved in the Sargodha and Jaranwala incidents to justice.