Jaranwala Incident: Attack on Christian community.
Constitution Petition No. 53 of 2023 filed before Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan [Rev. Fr. Khalid Mukhtar & Others vs Federation of Pakistan & Others]
A public interest Petition was filed by members of the Christian community of Pakistan, affected by the violent attacks of 16.08.2023. That the subject matter of the said Petition includes, inter alia, the unprecedented large scale violent attacks of 16.08.2023, on the churches/worship places and houses of the Christian community at Jaranwala tehsil in Faisalabad District, which violated the fundamental rights of minorities, including the Petitioners, granted under, inter alia, Articles 9, 14 and 25 of the Constitution, 1973. In pursuit of the aforementioned objective, the Petitioners sought, inter alia, the following reliefs from Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan:
Direct the One-Man Commission, of the Dr. Shoaib Suddle (appointed through Order dated: 08.01.2019, in S.M.C No.1 of 2014), to conduct a detailed inquiry, and submit a report on the violent attacks of 16.08.2023, perpetrated on the Christian community at Jaranwala tehsil in Faisalabad District.
Secondly, direct the Federal and Provincial Governments to immediately implement Para 37(iii). (v) and (vii) of judgment dated: 19.06.2014, passed in S.M.C No.1 of 2014, by this Honourable Court.
Thirdly, direct the Respondents No.2 (Chief Secretary, Punjab), No.3 (Home Secretary, Punjab) and No.4 (IGP, Punjab Police) to submit fortnightly reports regarding the investigation of all the FIRs arising out of the Jaranwala tehsil incident, for the kind consideration of this Honourable Court and for passing of appropriate and further orders.
Fourthly, direct the Federal and Provincial Governments to implement the recommendations of the Inquiry Report on Gojra Incident Dated August 01, 2009
The said Petition was admitted by the Honourable Supreme Court and office of the Honourable Supreme Court was directed to identify all the cases involving the same issue, including those in S.M.C No.1 of 2024, and to inform the committee constituted under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023. The case pending before the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The following documents are available for viewing online:
Memo of the Constitution Petition 53 of 2023
SC Order dated 13.02.2024