Pakistan Court Rejects Probe Into 2023 Jaranwala Attacks on Christians
The Lahore High Court has dismissed petitions seeking a judicial probe into the 2023 attacks on Christians in Jaranwala town. The court cited lack of jurisdiction, despite Christian groups' efforts and international concern over Pakistan's treatment of minorities.
Christian lawyers, including Saif-ul-Malook, had taken up the case at the Lahore High Court, with support from prominent rights advocates like Asma Jahangir. However, the court ruled it could not order the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the attacks.
The government maintained that Joint Investigation Teams had already submitted reports, while Amnesty International revealed that out of 5,213 suspects, only 380 were arrested, with many later released on bail or acquitted due to weak investigations. The government has not made public the analysis report of a committee that investigated the causes and made recommendations to prevent future incidents.
Christian groups received foreign funding for legal cases but did not use the money as intended, leading to a lack of interest in the cases. A senior Christian lawyer criticized the petitioners' counsels for ineffective arguments. Pakistan ranks eighth on the 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, with blasphemy accusations often leading to violence and mob attacks.
The court's decision leaves the 2023 Jaranwala attacks largely unaddressed, with most suspects released or acquitted. International concern over Pakistan's treatment of Christians remains, as the government has not acted on recommendations to prevent future incidents.
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