In an eastern city of Pakistan, over 100 individuals have been apprehended following the incidents where thousands of Muslims set churches ablaze and damaged homes. The turmoil in Jaranwala erupted following allegations that two Christian men had torn pages from the Quran.

The historic Salvation Army Church remained smoldering the day after the riot, while the ruins have been cordoned off with barbed wire as tension persists in the city. Public gatherings have been curtailed for a week in the Faisalabad district, encompassing Jaranwala.

Although the two men accused of defiling the Quran, Islam's holy scripture, have not been arrested, they face charges of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death in Pakistan.

Even though Pakistan has yet to impose death sentences for blasphemy, mere allegations can lead to widespread riots, sometimes culminating in lynching and fatalities.

According to a local official speaking to BBC Urdu, authorities received reports of protests and fires early Wednesday morning after news about the desecration of the Quran circulated on social media and within the city.

Authorities found torn pages of the revered text containing blasphemous content allegedly written in red marker ink near a Christian community.

The reports triggered outrage among the Muslim population, resulting in violent mobs attacking and plundering private homes owned by Christians. As the situation remains tense, the ruins of the Salvation Army Church continue to emit smoke a day after the incident.

Police told the BBC that Christian's possessions were pulled into the streets and set on fire.

Yassir Bhatti, a 31-year-old Christian, was forced to flee their homes.

"They broke the windows, doors and took out fridges, sofas, chairs, and other household items to pile them up in front of the Church to be burnt," he told AFP news agency.

"They also burnt and desecrated Bibles, they were ruthless."

Videos on social media show protesters destroying Christian buildings while police appear to watch on.

Pastor Javed Bhatti, a priest in the area, told the BBC: "They burnt everything. They destroyed our homes, this house of god."

Another woman, called Sonam, fled with her three children just before the area was attacked.

"We just left without dressing," she said. "We picked up our small children and just ran."

Two years ago, a Sri Lankan man accused of blasphemy was killed by an enraged mob and had his body set on fire. In 2009, a group burned down about 60 homes and killed six people in the Gorja district in Punjab, after accusing them of insulting Islam.

Pakistan inherited the blasphemy law from the British in the 19th Century. In the 1980s, Islamabad introduced stiffer penalties, including the death sentence for insulting Islam.

Around 96% of Pakistan's population is Muslim. Other countries, including Iran, Brunei, and Mauritania, impose capital punishment for insulting religion.

Religion-fuelled violence in Pakistan has risen since the country made blasphemy punishable by death, as it "bolsters violent behavior," Iftekharul Bashar, a researcher at the think-tank RSIS who focuses on political and religious violence in South Asia, told the BBC.

"The Pakistani society has experienced increased fragmentation, driven by widening economic disparities, leading to an upsurge in violence directed towards minority religious groups," Mr Bashar said.

"The emergence of extremist and vigilante factions within Pakistan, some of which exhibit significant financial backing, also contributed to this troubling trend."

Amir Mir, the information minister for Punjab province, condemned the latest alleged blasphemy and said in a statement that thousands of police had been sent to the area, with dozens of people detained.

The angry group mainly was made up of people from an Islamist political party called Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a government source told Reuters. The TLP has denied any involvement.

Caretaker PM Anwar ul-Haq Kakar called for swift action against those responsible for the violence.

And Pakistani bishop Azad Marshall, in the neighboring city of Lahore, said the Christian community was "deeply pained and distressed" by the events.

"We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice, and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Different problems in different parts of the world these days.

Too bad

Every part of the world has its own problem