Punjab announces Rs2m for each affected family of Jaranwala incident

• In rare show of solidarity, CM Naqvi chairs cabinet meeting in church.
• CM says Muslims ready to allow Christians to worship in mosques.
• Naqvi reiterates suspects of Jaranwala riots would be punished.

The Punjab government has approved the provision of Rs2million to each of the affected families in the Jaranwala rampage in terms of compensation for the losses incurred in the mob violence that took place last week.

Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday said that the relief cheques would be provided to the affectees of the Jaranwala incident within the next two to three days. 

As a rare show of solidarity with the Christian community, CM Naqvi chaired a cabinet meeting in a church for the first time in the history of Punjab. Secretaries and senior officials also attended the meeting.

Later, he met members of the peace committee, including scholars of all schools of thought and personalities from other religions at Jamia Masjid Sabri in Jaranwala.

Talking to the media persons after the meeting, Naqvi said that the earlier cabinet meeting unanimously approved the compensation of Rs2 million for each of the affected Christian families in Jaranwala.

He also revealed that the Muslim scholars were ready to allow Christians to worship in mosques.

"I just had a meeting with peace Committee Jaranwala in which the religious leaders said that the Christians can use their mosques for worship if they have no place for it due to damage to their churches”.

“I think that the peace committee has given a very good message as it would help in pacifying and controlling the situation that erupted after August 16 tragedy”, the CM added.

He said that the Jaranwala incident was a big tragedy.

“Therefore, we stand with our Christian brothers in this difficult time and the Peace Committee would also play its dynamic role in addressing ill effects of this tragedy by promoting love and affection among both communities”, he said.

The chief minister further stated that rehabilitation of damaged churches had been started on Saturday and so far two churches had been restored.

“I also visited one of the churches where rehabilitation work was completed”, he said, adding that management of some churches had stopped restoration work temporarily as they wanted some changes and improvements in their designing.

However, all necessary machinery would remain available here and rehabilitation work would be resumed in these churches when their management would allow doing so.

He said that the government would bear all expenses of churches’ rehabilitation and he would also visit Jaranwala repeatedly until and unless all matters of the affectees and their churches would be settled down.

Responding to a question, CM Naqvi said that the government had already made it clear that the accused involved in the Jaranwala riots would definitely be punished.

No guilty person would ever be spared, however, those who were proven innocent would be given due relief, he added.

Earlier, the CM and all the provincial ministers reached the AEC Church at Isa Nagari in a coach and participated in the Sunday service.

— Additional input from APP