Officials reported hundreds of Muslim men set fire to churches and vandalized Christian homes in eastern Pakistan on Wednesday after Christians were accused of blasphemy.
After hearing that the Koran had been desecrated, the crowd marched into a mostly Christian neighbourhood on the outskirts of the industrial city of Faisalabad.
"The crowd caused significant damage to the area, including Christian homes and many churches," Ahad Noor, a local administration official, told AFP.
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According to police and rescue personnel, At least four churches were set on fire, while up to a dozen buildings with church status were damaged, according to residents.
Several thousand police officers have been dispatched to guard the area, and scores of people have been detained, according to Amir Mir, Punjab province's communications minister, in a statement that condemned the alleged blasphemy.
Yasir Bhatti, a 31-year-old Christian, left his home in a tiny lane near to one of the mob-ravaged churches.
In Muslim-majority Pakistan, anyone found to have insulted Islam or Islamic icons faces the death penalty.
In the neighbouring city of Lahore, Pakistani bishop Azad Marshall said the Christian community was "deeply pained and distressed" by the events.
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Images on social media showed crowds of people pouring through the streets armed with sticks and rocks, with smoke rising from church structures.
Crowds rejoice and demand retribution for the accused blasphemers in one video as a cross is ripped from the top of a church.
The perimeter walls of a Christian cemetery and the local government building were vandalized as masses demanded action from authorities, according to police.
Christians comprise about 2% of the population. They are at the bottom of Pakistani society and are routinely targeted with false and unsubstantiated blasphemy accusations that can be used to settle personal vendettas.
Islamist right-wing leaders and political groups in Pakistan routinely unite around the topic, even while politicians have been slain, European countries have been threatened with nuclear annihilation, and students have been lynched over blasphemy claims.
