“The angry mob protesting after the blast beat to death two people whom they suspected of being associates of the attackers”
Increasing trend of lynching is alarming and government should take immediate steps to curb such incidences in future.
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40 Christians arrested for lynching two in Pakistan | Zee News
Last Updated: Monday, March 23, 2015 - 17:10
Lahore: Around 40
Christians have been arrested for allegedly being part of a mob that lynched two men after Taliban suicide attacks on two churches here in Pakistan's biggest Christian colony that killed 17 people.
Confirming the arrests, senior investigation officer Rana Ayaz Saleem said: "We have launched a crackdown in the wee hours on Sunday and arrested around 40 suspects involved in the lynching of two innocent youngsters."
He said most of them had been arrested from houses of their close relatives where they were hiding.
"We first established identity of the suspects through TV footages, still cameras and other relevant sources before laying hand on them," he said.
The usual Sunday mass was underway on March 15 at the Christ Church and Catholic Church of Youhanabad Christian Colony that houses over 100,000 Christians, when two suicide bombers reached there and tried to break in.
When the guards stopped them from entering the churches they blew themselves up at the gates.
After the blasts the police had taken two suspects into custody from the site and shifted them to a vehicle when a group of charged youngsters got hold of them.
The enraged mob started thrashing the two suspects and after beating them severely, the mob tied them with a rope and set them on fire. Their charred remains were later found at the site.
Later, the suspects identity was established as both worked in different shops in Yauhanabad and had no criminal record.
Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan splinter group Jamat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The same group had claimed responsibility of a suicide attack in Wagah border in September last year in which 60 people were killed.
Meanwhile, the intelligence agencies have arrested a suspect who allegedly provided transport facility to the terrorists behind the Youhanabad church blasts.
The suspect has been identified as Ghulam Rasool, an alleged member of Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
A seven-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries sustained during the Church attack at Lahore General Hospital, bringing the death toll to 17.
PTI
