A Pakistani court has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for demolishing three churches during one of the country’s worst anti-Christian mob attacks in recent years, marking a rare conviction in a nation where violence against Christians often goes unpunished.
According to Breitbart, Irfan Yousaf was convicted of desecration and arson after using a crane to destroy three churches during the August 2023 riots in Jaranwala. Christian leaders welcomed the verdict but said it falls far short of justice after thousands participated in the violence.
Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been… pic.twitter.com/xruE83NPXL
— Archbishop Dr Azad Marshall (@BishopAzadM) August 16, 2023
One conviction after widespread destruction
The riots erupted after two Christian brothers were falsely accused of desecrating a Quran. Police later found no evidence supporting the allegations and determined they stemmed from a personal dispute.
The mob that followed reportedly swelled to as many as 10,000 people. More than 500 Christian homes were destroyed, approximately 25 churches and other places of worship were damaged or burned, and tens of thousands of believers were displaced.
Yousaf was the only person convicted despite authorities identifying thousands of suspected participants.
Video evidence proved decisive
Samuel Pyara, chairman of the Implementation Minority Rights Forum, told EWTN that the conviction was secured because Christian resident Wahida Mukhtar captured the destruction on video.
“It followed forensic analysis of a video recorded by Wahida Mukhtar, a local Christian woman, showing Yousaf demolishing a church and an adjacent house with a crane. Government-certified experts authenticated the footage and testified before the court,” Pyara said.
Mukhtar reportedly continued recording while members of the mob threw bricks at her, fracturing her foot. She later endured intimidation and threats because of her role in the case.
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Calls for greater justice
The trial judge also criticized police for their response to the riots. Christian leaders have long maintained officers stood by while churches and homes were looted and destroyed.
Two years after the attacks, reports indicated police had identified about 5,200 suspected participants, arrested 381 people, released 380 of them, and secured only Yousaf’s conviction.
The case highlights both a rare measure of accountability and the ongoing challenges facing Christians in Pakistan, where false blasphemy accusations continue to trigger violent attacks against Christian communities.
As we remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in Pakistan, let us pray for their protection, perseverance, and for justice to prevail.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
