FAISALABAD: Two Christian brothers accused of distributing blasphemous material were gunned down on the premises of the sessions court here on Monday.

A police inspector was injured in the attack which sparked violence in the slain men’s native area of Daoodnagar where protesters pelted vehicles and shops with stones. At least 10 people were injured.

Section 144 was imposed and protests and rallies were banned in the district by District Coordination Office Nasim Sadiq.

At around 10pm, announcements were made from mosques in Daoodnagar asking people to come out to ‘fight rampaging’ Christians.

An exchange of fire was also reported to have taken place between two groups in the area.

A heavy contingent of police was sent to Daoodnagar and Regional Police Officer Aftab Cheema, Commissioner Tahir Hussain and the DCO visited the area to pacify the angry protesters.

Police were also deployed at churches and around residential colonies of the minority community.

Reports said that police had produced accused Rashid and Sajid in a court of law to obtain their remand and were about to leave the place when they were attacked by a group of gunmen.

The injured inspector, Mohammad Hussain, who heads the investigation wing of the Civil Lines police, was being treated at the Allied Hospital.

The Punjab police suspended the SP Investigation and the DSP concerned for security lapse.

Police had registered a blasphemy case against the two brothers under Section 295-c of the PPC on charges of distributing handwritten pamphlets containing “disrespectful material” at the city bus stand on July 10.

The pamphlets carried two cellphone numbers.

Khurram, believed to be an activist of the little known Tehrik-i-Hurmat-i-Rasool (peace be upon him), got the two brothers arrested.

Courtesy by dawn.com