Three persons were killed and several others injured today when police opened fire to quell clashes between Muslims and the minority Christian community in Pakistan's Punjab province following the alleged desecration of the Quran.
Hundreds of Muslims from several villages gathered this morning and marched towards Christian homes at Azafi Abadi village, 160 km from Lahore.
Witnesses said at least three persons were killed and some others injured when police fired at members of a mob that was trying to forcibly enter the homes of Christians.
Witnesses also said at least five persons were injured in an exchange of fire between the two groups though there was no official word on casualties.
"Three people have been killed so far in the clashes and a couple are seriously injured," Aslam Sahothra, general secretary of the Human Liberation Commission of Pakistan, said.
When the mob was stopped by a large contingent of police, it blocked the Gojra-Faislabad road and disrupted train services. Police initially fired in the air to stop the mob that was trying to burn the homes of Christians.
When they failed to disperse the protestors, police opened fire at the mob, witnesses said.
Reports also said two senior police officers were injured in the clashes.
A mob had yesterday burnt over 70 houses of Christians at Azafi Abadi over the alleged desecration of the Quran.
Violence erupted in the village when a group of Muslims alleged that three Christians had burnt pages of the Quran at a wedding ceremony. As the news spread, it created tension between the two communities in the village located along the Gojra-Faislabad road.
Muslims attacked the homes of Christians, who fled before an angry mob arrived. The mob burnt the homes and some cattle died in the fire.
The mob even blocked the main road yesterday to prevent fire tenders from entering the village. Local politicians and clerics succeeded in calming tensions late last night but they flared again this morning.
Sahothra and several members of his organisation are present in the village to probe the cause of the tensions. He said police had failed to protect the life and property of the minorities.
"When tension arose between the two communities, representatives of the Christians approached the police for protection but their pleas fell on deaf ears," Sahothra said.
Federal minister for minorities Shahbaz Bhatti and his Punjab counterpart Kamran Michael visited the area yesterday to calm tensions, but local residents said they failed to ensure measures were put in place to prevent further violence.
Christian leader Asif Jamil Pagaan told reporters that at least 75 Christian houses were burnt down and two churches ransacked by a mob comprising people from nearby villages.
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