Pakistan court hands rare prison sentence over anti-Christian riots

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for his role in the 2023 anti-Christian riots in Jaranwala, Punjab. Irfan Yousaf, a crane driver, was convicted on July 13 for attacking a Christian neighborhood following allegations of Quran desecration. The riots resulted in the vandalism of 26 churches and more than 80 Christian homes.

Samuel Pyara, chairman of the Implementation Minority Rights Forum (IMRF), stated that the conviction relied on digital forensic evidence. Government experts authenticated video footage recorded by Wahida Mukhtar, a local Christian woman, which showed Yousaf using a crane to demolish a church and a nearby house. Pyara, who is leading petitions in the Supreme Court, noted that Christian witnesses faced intimidation during the trial.

The verdict was welcomed by the National Council of Churches in Pakistan (NCCP) and the IMRF. Members of the Christian community expressed support for the decision, describing it as a rare instance of accountability for mob violence against religious minorities.