National outcry over Joseph Colony incident

Protests were held across Pakistan against the ransacking and burning of homes belonging to the Christian community in the Joseph Colony area of Badami Bagh in Lahore. In Multan, the Christian community took out a protest rally from the Catholic Church to the press club. In Faisalabad, a peace walk was held led by Muslim and Christian religious leaders. The Christian community protested at the Pindi by-pass. Protestors burnt tyres and blocked the road, which brought a halt to traffic travelling to Lahore and Islamabad. Protest rallies were also held in Sargodha, Gojar, Mandi Bahauddin and Dera Ismail Khan. Members of the Christian community also held a protest in Lahore. Protestors chanted slogans against the provincial government, administration and police. Traffic was also blocked on Ferozepur road. Protestors pelted the Metro buses and police with stones. Police resorted to aerial firing and baton charging to disperse the protestors. In Karachi, the MQM held a protest against the incident at the press club. MQM leader Farooq Sattar called for the immediate resignation of the Punjab government. The protest rally in Karachi took a violent turn following police shelling. Enraged people clashed with traders near Zainab Market and damaged shops and cars. The windscreens of two ambulances were also damaged. On March 9 over 100 homes of the Christian community were ransacked and burnt by an angry mob after an individual was accused of blasphemy.