GUJRANWALA - An angry mob torched the house of a family belonging to Ahhmadi community in Arafat Colony in Gujranwala, as a result of which a woman, 55, and her two granddaughters died from suffocation.
According to media reports, the clash started when an Ahmadi, Saqib s/o Ahmad Din, allegedly shared a blasphemous picture with one Ejaz on Facebook.
Ejaz along with Zakariya son of Siddiqia Masjid Khateeb Qari Muhammad Hakim and others gathered outside Saqib’s house. At that time several Ahmadis had gathered at one Dr Sohail’s house.
The angry mob attempted to raid the doctor’s house in search of Saqib. According to Ejaz, the people inside the house opened fire on the mob, injuring Zakariya. This provoked the angry mob and they set the house on fire as a result of which Bashiran Bibi, 30, and her two granddaughters – eight-month-old Hira and five-year-old Kainat – died from suffocation while seven others, including two women, were injured as they locked themselves up in their houses.
The injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital where their condition is said to be critical.  People’s Colony SHO Malik Asghar confirmed three casualties. No arrest has so far been made.
Meanwhile, religious and political organisations condemned the incident and demanded a probe. The Pakistan Ulema Council chairman, terming the incident regrettable, demanded a judicial enquiry. The MQM Coordination Committee said the culprits should be taken to justice after a high-level probe. Shia Council Chief Allama Jaffar Subhani said the Punjab government had failed to protect the citizens.
According to police and eyewitnesses, there are seven to eight houses of the Ahmadi community in the vicinity. However, following the violence, all Ahmadi families in the area managed to flee.