Two Christian brothers Pastor Rashid Emmanuel and Pastor Sajid Emmanuel accused of distributing blasphemous material were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the district court premises. July 19, 2010, near about afternoon at 03:00 p.m. few friends from Waris Pura, Faisalabad, informed about the disastrous incident of brutal murder of two brothers namely as Pastor Rashid Emmanuel & Pastor Sajid Emmanuel by unknown extremist gunmen as they left a court hearing in a false blasphemy accusations. Following this terrible incident a fact finding team from Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) headed by Mr. M.A. Joseph Francis (National Director CLAAS) accompanying with Ms. Katharine Sapna (Program Officer CLAAS) and Mr. Nadeem Anthony (Human Rights Activist) visits the affected Christians and place of occurrence in the districts courts, Faisalabad. About Waris Pura (Daud Nagar): Waris Pura, is situated middle in Faisalabad city. The area is populated with Muslim and Christians, who are residing jointly since hundreds of years. Both communities neighborly respected each other and involve themselves in all special occasions such as funerals & marriage ceremonies, Eid (feast) festivals etc. The town has seventy five thousand Christian registered voters and the constituency comes under NA-83 in Faisalabad. There is another advantage for Christians that three members of Punjab Provincial Assembly are residing here in Waris Pura. The main areas where Christians are residing in majority are as Waris Pura, Daud Nagar, and Ibn-e-Mariam Colony, Faisalabad. Reason behind the alleged accusations of Blasphemy: Pastor Rashid Emmanuel and Pastor Sajid Emmanuel started a pastoral ministry named as United Ministry Pakistan, in Daud Nagar, Waris Pura, Faisalabad, about seven years before. Initially the organizations started activities its own in the area but during earth quake occurred in 2005 in Northern parts of Pakistan, the said organization got some donations from abroad for the relief of affected area. Mr. Khurram Shahzad, a Muslim friend from Sumandri, Faisalabad, joined them and served in the organization. In June, 2010, the Pastor Brothers excused Khurram Shahzad, and requested him to discontinue his work for financial crisis with the organization. Khurram Shahzad became enraged and warned them for dire consequences. Later Khurram got job in DAWN Calendar a printing press factory in Sumandari, (his native area) and started his duties. Consequently Khurram Shahzad decided to take revenge from them and for this he was in his best to give them a lesson. The Blasphemy Allegations: According to the details described in the FIR on July 01, 2010, Muhammad Ashraf (Khurram’s accountant) brought a hand written pamphlet from city bus station and showed it to Khurram and told him that some people disseminating this pamphlet at city bus stop. Khurram read the pamphlet thoroughly and also noticed that the names, postal contact address and cell numbers etc. He immediately informed his proprietor and later put the matter with trade association Faisalabad and with religious leaders. The said groups of religious mind people without knowing or investigating the facts and the allegations, showed their concerns and were unsympathetic towards deceased brothers for blasphemous remarks against the dignity of the Holy Prophet. The same day on July 02, 2010, the nearby Civil Lines Police Station registered a blasphemy case against the two Christian brothers Rashid aged 32 & Sajid aged 25, resident of Daud Nagar, Street # 5, Waris Pura, Faisalabad, under section 295-C of the PPC (Pakistan Penal Code) on charges of distributing handwritten pamphlets containing disgraceful remarks against Prophet Muhammad. Khurram Shahzad was the complainant of the First Information Report. The Civil Lines police arrested Rashid Masih on he same day while Sajid Masih was voluntarily surrender by Christian religious leaders. Both the Christian brothers kept them in the police station for investigation. The situation of the city was overwrought and the police deployed in the main areas and the rest was on patrolling to meet with any unpleasant mishap. Few days before Massacre: On July 10, 2010, a mob of about hundreds of Muslim protesters gathered for protest demonstration against Christian Community resided in Waris Pura, Faisalabad. The protest leaded by Muslim Molanas along with activists of Tehrik-i-Hurmat-i-Rasool (Peace Be upon Him) started from Daud Nagar, street No. 6, in the evening near about 07:00 p.m. organized by Mushtaq Insari a General Councilor of Daud Nagar and resident of neighbored street of the Pastor Brothers. Mushtaq Insari was very active in the protest against Christians and also was active against them from last many days. The protesters holed the banners, chanted slogans and burned Tyres (wheels) and blocked the main road of Waris Pura and Mathai Wala Chawk, (square junction) Faisalabad. The angry mob started throwing stones at The Holy Rosary Catholic Church and demanded immediate death sentence for alleged Christian Blasphemers. The police immediately reached and controlled the situation. The very next day on July 11, 2010, the local mosques of Faisalabad, broadcast announcements and instigate the Muslim residents for protest against Christians. At about 03:00 p. m. thousands of demonstrators including activists from banned militant organizations gathered at the Gol Chawk, Ghanta Ghar, Faisalabad. On Friday July 16, 2010, in Friday prayers all mosques of the area instigated the worshippers against Christians. By following this Friday deadly Sermons by Imam Mosques (Prayer leader in the Mosque), Christians were scared and fled their house and shifted in safe places. The Attack on deceased brothers: On July 19, 2010, the police with out appropriate security produced Rashid and Sajid in district courts to obtain their remand and were about to leave the place when they were attacked by a group of extremists equipped with deadly weapons. The attackers opened fired blindly and in result both brothers’ shot dead on the spot and injured a police officer. It is pity that the two brothers were killed with police criminal negligence because when they attacked only an investigation officer was with them. The said injured investigation officer and their dead bodies immediately shifted at the Allied Hospital, Faisalabad city. The killing sparked as violent: The brutal attack sparked violence in Daud Nagar, where Christian protesters pelted vehicles and shops with stones at the houses of Muslims who blamed false accusations. In response a mob of Muslim mob consisting on thousands of protesters attacked on Christians. The injured Christians told the team that around 05:00 till 08:00 p.m. announcements were continuously broadcast from the area mosques especially in Daud Nagar, instigating people “to come out to fight against the blasphemous Christians.” The team was also informed that at first an exchange of fire took place between Christians and violent Muslim attackers. Later the instigated angry mob attacked the Christians destroyed and looted their shops in Barkat Market, smash their electricity meters, desecrated a main door of a Church and also attacked on a Sada-e-Pakistan school and Bible study Centre of Daud Nagar. The violent mobs comprised in thousands appeared from different streets equipped with latest guns, heavy wooden sticks, iron rods and started tortured Christians and torched their places of worships. A heavy contingent of police was deployed around churches and streets of the Christian community. The police also pacify the angry protesters with use of teargas and bullets fired in the air to disperse them. The police instead of protecting Christians used teargas against injured them. The Christians residing in Faisalabad especially in Waris Pura, Daud Nagar, Ibn-e-Mariam Colony, are still under fears and almost left their houses to save their lives. The Peace Committee: The high security officials of Faisalabad City were informed about the situation, but they did not arrange the proper security arrangements for deceased brothers. A peace committee was set up at the Catholic Bishop House Faisalabad, and involved police, city administration, members from civil society organizations to restore peace and harmony. The committee helps out for the registration of FIR against unknown attackers from the complaint of deceased’s father. Section 144 was imposed and protests and rallies were banned in the district by Mr. Nasim Sadiq, district coordination officer (DCO). Place of Occurrence: The team also visited the place of occurrence to know the criminal negligence by the police. In this photo it is easy to realize that how with no trouble the group of gunmen entered in the courts without any security checking and killed the accused persons. It is a clear sign that the police is totally failed to protect the two innocent brothers. The team also met with a grains vendor who was near the place of occurrence where the killing took place. He said “I am selling grains in the districts courts since 35 years and it is first time for me that the accused in blasphemy case were appeared before court with out proper security arrangements”. Meeting with Police Officials: The CLASS team also meeting with police officials deputed in Daud Nagar, who refused to give any statement and details of the incident. Funeral Prayer: July 20, 2010, at about 05:00 a.m. the police handed over their dead bodies to Rt. Rev. Joseph Cottus (Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad Diocese) and request for instantaneous burial. After the funeral prayers the dead bodies were buried at Mansoor Abad (a Christian cemetery) around 09:00 a.m. with heavy contingent of police. Observations: 1. The deceased brothers were professionally pastors and working on social development as well as on a prayer ministry. 2. The deceased brothers never drafted any sacrilegious pamphlet and there is no evidence is available against the deceased. The local residents concede that there is no witness or evidence against the Pastor Brother’s involvement in the alleged Blasphemy. 3. Prior arrest of the accused, no investigation was carried out by the SP investigation as required by the law. 4. Mushtaq Insari’s son had dispute with Christians in Daud Nagar and opened fires, some days before the incident although it was arbitrated by the respectable of the area but Mushtaq Insari, took as insult of him. 5. Mushtaq Insari wanted to keep protect his political influence and used his extremist supporters for demand the immediate death sentence for the two Christian brothers. 6. The mosques urged the local Muslims for attack on Christians. 7. The complainant is not resident of Daud Nagar while living some 50 Km from the place of occurrence. 8. The killing reveled negligence of police and failure of stringent security arrangements. 9. The banned religious Organizations were actively involved in this brutality. 10. Although the situation is under control but the Christians are frightened and still out of their houses. Recommendations: 1. A fair and transparent investigation must be carried out as soon as possible in the interest of justice to ensure that the innocent Christians should not victimized, abused and harassed on their religious beliefs. 2. The government should arrest the killers immediately and fulfill administration of justice. 3. The federal as well as provincial governments should provide extra security to under trial blasphemy accused in the courts as well as in the confinement to protect them from any harm/killing. 4. The media highlight the issue but it is not enough to highlight the case but also to educate the people about the abuse of blasphemy accusation and law. 5. The Punjab government keeping in view last incidents of mob brutality in fake blasphemy accusations and should take serious notice of this case, which is a clear example of the misuse of blasphemy law, and ensure that measures are taken to ensure justice to the accused. 6. The use of mosques loud speaker to make provocative announcements and incitement citizen to violence must stop. 7. The criminal and departmental actions should initiate against the responsible police officers for ignoring to provide protection to the accused. Up-date: On July 19, 2010, Mr. Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, Chief Justice Lahore High Court took suo moto notice on brutal killing of two Christian brothers and ordered the police officials for initial report on July 20, 2010. On the said date Aftab Ahmad Cheema, Regional Police Officer Faisalabad (RPO), submitted a report. The RPO admitted negligence of police officer and failure of stringent security arrangements. Further the Chief Justice Lahore High court ordered a judicial inquiry and appointed Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf, District and Sessions Judge to conduct the inquiry. Note: There in no clue of the whereabouts of the aggrieved family, till the filing of this report OR The remaining relevant clarifications will come up after the judicial inquiry.