Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Anthony Naveed
Karachi (Fides News Agency) – The fruitful collaboration between Muslim and Christian religious leaders, civil authorities and security forces prevented an outbreak of sectarian violence, ensuring that a highly sensitive alleged blasphemy case was handled through the principles of justice, goodwill and truth rather than revenge. This is the key message emerging from events that unfolded in recent days in the Qazafi Colony of Baldia Town, on the outskirts of Karachi, where a provocation and allegations against a Catholic citizen threatened to spark interreligious violence.
The incident began on July 9, when a local grocery store received an envelope containing a desecrated page of the Holy Quran along with photographs of a local Christian man, Azeem Javed, and his mother, along with a copy of the woman's national identity card. The Muslim shopkeeper immediately recognized the suspicious nature of the material and alerted residents and the police. According to local sources, the incident may be linked to a recent dispute involving Javaid and several individuals who attempted to falsely implicate him in a blasphemy case by exploiting Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
News of the alleged desecration spread rapidly, drawing thousands of people to the area as radical Muslim activists called for protests. Around ten Christian families living near Javaid's home found themselves trapped inside their houses. To prevent the risk of mob violence, the Sindh provincial government deployed additional police forces, who moved Javaid and his family to an undisclosed location.
A joint intervention by political representatives, Islamic scholars and Catholic priests proved decisive: they publicly stated that the anonymous envelope appeared to be a deliberate attempt to incite hatred between Muslims and Christians. The authorities assured the them that a thorough investigation would be carried out.
A series of meetings then brought together prominent representatives of different Islamic schools of thought, political leaders, police officials and members of the Christian community. Participants included Christian Sindh provincial MP Rooma Mushtaq Mattoo, as well as Fathers Waqas Raza OMI, Rizwan OMI and Kashif Gouri OMI. All participants called for a fair investigation, the identification of those responsible and full respect for the rule of law.
Father Shahzad Arshad, Director of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Karachi, expressed gratitude to the security forces and to the spontaneously formed "peace coalition," which included the vice president of the Sindh Assembly, Catholic Naveed Anthony, Mufti Zubair, and other Islamic leaders. Together, they issued a public appeal urging people to reject any attempt to sow division between Muslims and Christians.
In a message sent to Fides, Sindh MP, Rooma Mushtaq Mattoo confirmed her involvement, stating that "Azeem Javaid and his family are under state protection in a safe place." She also reaffirmed "the Sindh government's commitment to guaranteeing the safety of religious minorities and social peace."
"There are indications that this incident was orchestrated to provoke tensions and undermine interreligious relations; the investigation will establish who is responsible," Father Lazar Aslam, head of the Justice, Peace and Ecology Commission of the Capuchin Friars, told Fides. "We ask that the entire process be conducted in full accordance with the law. At the same time, protection is needed for the entire local Christian community. There is also a positive lesson to be drawn from this episode: through goodwill, cooperation and common sense, violence can be prevented and constructive relations maintained for the common good," the friar concluded. (PA) (Fides News Agency, 15/7/2026)
