Riots erupted in Faisalabad, located 100km from Lahore, soon after the incident. Riot police were deployed in neighbourhoods with Christian residents to control the situation.
Two Christian brothers accused of blasphemy were gunned down by suspected members of a banned religious group outside a court in Faislabad in Pakistan's Punjab province today.
Riots erupted in Faisalabad, located 100km from Lahore, soon after the incident. Riot police were deployed in neighbourhoods with Christian residents to control the situation.
Police detained over a dozen Muslim and Christian youths involved in setting vehicles ablaze.
Rashid and Sajid Emanuel were arrested some time ago after leaflets allegedly bearing their names and featuring derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed were found in Faisalabad.
Police were taking the brothers to the district sessions court to seek their physical remand when they were ambushed by a group of gunmen.
The gunmen, believed to be members of a banned religious group, fled after the attack.
The brothers and a policeman sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
The brothers succumbed to their injuries while officials described the condition of the policeman as critical.
Authorities banned large gatherings in areas with sizeable Christian populations.
Large police contingents were deployed in such areas to prevent untoward incidents.
Federal minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti strongly condemned the incident, saying that nobody is allowed to take the law into their hands.
It is the responsibility of courts to decide the fate of those accused of blasphemy, he said.
Bhatti contended that the attack on the brothers could have been the result of a grudge.
He also said the unfortunate incident was an "offshoot of the misuse of the blasphemy law."
The allegations against the brothers were yet to be proved and police were still investigating the case, he pointed out. "It is very unfortunate that the Christian brothers were killed without giving them a chance to prove their innocence. Every accused is innocent until he or she is proved guilty,” he said, asking Christians to remain peaceful during a testing time.
Bhatti ordered an inquiry and directed police to submit their report within a day.
Last year, religious extremists had burnt to death seven members of a Christian family in Gojra, located a short distance from Faisalbad, after alleging that some Christians had desecrated the Quran.
An investigation into the incident revealed that activists of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba were involved in the killings.
Faislabad, Gojra, Jhangh and Bhakkar districts of Punjab are considered strongholds of the religious group.
Punjab Police recently launched a crackdown on banned groups following pressure from the federal government.
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