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Pakistan court hands rare prison sentence over anti-Christian riots

July 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Christians in Pakistan have welcomed the conviction of a Muslim man for his role in the 2023 anti-Christian riots in Jaranwala, Punjab, calling it a rare instance of accountability in cases of mob violence against religious minorities.

An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad on July 13 sentenced Irfan Yousaf, a crane driver, to 10 years in prison for attacking the town’s Christian neighborhood after allegations of Quran desecration. He was among thousands of Muslims accused of participating in the riots that left 26 churches and more than 80 Christian homes vandalized.

News of the verdict was greeted with applause during a July 13 consultation jointly organized by the National Council of Churches in Pakistan (NCCP), the country’s main ecumenical body representing Protestant churches, and the nongovernmental Implementation Minority Rights Forum (IMRF).

Samuel Pyara, chairman of IMRF, who has filed petitions in the Supreme Court and regularly meets federal officials to press for speedy trials and compensation for victims, said the conviction was secured through digital forensic evidence.

“It followed forensic analysis of a video recorded by Wahida Mukhtar, a local Christian…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Irene WilsonTen years is something at least. Good they used that video evidence from Wahida Mukhtar instead of letting the whole thing disappear like usual. Pray the other families finally see some compensation too.

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ნანა ბერიძეStill, it is good that Irfan Yousaf was given 10 years because of the video, not everything went without justice in Jaranwala. The footage of Vakhida Mukhtari was released in the case, so that others would be tried in the same way. Hopefully, the affected Christian families will be compensated in the end.

Andrei LunguGood thing they used that footage of Wahida Mukhtar and got Irfan Yousaf sentenced to 10 years. It's rare to see something like this in Pakistan. I hope that the other families will at least receive the promised compensation, otherwise it will still be half.

Александр КиселёвIt’s good that Vahida Mukhtar’s video was not thrown out, but was used as evidence. Ten years is at least some kind of sentence; they don’t let everything go as usual. I hope that the rest of the families will still be paid compensation, and not just promised.

Илья ЗайцевI agree, the video became the key - without it, everything would have been hushed up again. Ten years is already serious for such a case, especially when usually no one sits down. I wonder how many more from that crowd will actually be attracted, do you think?

Teodora FloreaWell said, Andrei, that video evidence of Wahida was decisive. I still wonder if the compensation money will reach the families whose houses were destroyed, because the promises on paper are one thing, and the money in hand is another.

Radu GheorghiuYes, Wahida's video evidence mattered a lot, otherwise the case was lost. I also hope that the compensation money reaches the families, they don't stop on the road as usual. Have you heard anything concrete from Samuel Pyara about the promised sums?

Simona TudorYes, Wahida's video evidence was decisive, otherwise everything was lost in the papers as usual. We heard from Samuel Pyara that the compensation amounts have started reaching some families in Jaranwala, but not all, and they are still fighting over the rest. What do you think, do you think the trials will continue with the other accused?

Mihai NistorYes, the video proof was the key, otherwise everything was lost in the papers. I doubt that the money reaches the families of Jaranwala quickly, I have seen similar cases where the government's promises melted away at the middlemen. Do you have any idea if NCCP or IMRF have actually tracked the distribution of the amounts so far?

Vasile ConstantinescuYes, the video evidence really made the difference, otherwise the case was lost like so many others. About the money, I read that IMRF has made repeated requests to the authorities for compensation, but so far the distribution has been slow and partial, as you say. Do you think it would help if the local churches in Punjab made a public list of the families who received something?

Constantin CiobanuYes, the public list could put more pressure, so as not to lose track of the money. I heard that in Jaranwala about 20 families have only received part of what they were promised, the rest are still waiting. Do you think NCCP would be willing to coordinate it?

Ana MunteanuYes, a public list would help to clearly see who got it and who didn't. I too have heard about the 20 families in Jaranwala who have been waiting for the rest of the compensation for months. Do you think IMRF could do it together with NCCP so that the money is not lost?