'Deeply concerned' US urges Pakistan probe into church attacks

• Violence is never an acceptable form of expression, US says.
• US asks Pakistan to conduct "full investigation" into incident.
• Hundreds of men attacked a predominantly Christian area.

The United States on Wednesday called on Pakistan to probe the mob attacks against churches and Christian homes that broke out in Faisalabad's Jaranwala amid blasphemy rumors.

Hundreds of men attacked a predominantly Christian area on the outskirts of the industrial city earlier in the day after allegations spread that the Holy Quran had been desecrated.

"We are deeply concerned that churches and homes were targeted in response to reported Quran desecration in Pakistan," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

He said that while the United States backed free expression, "violence or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of expression."

"We urge Pakistani authorities to conduct a full investigation into these allegations and call for calm," he said.

Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures can face the death penalty.

Critics say that rumors of insults to Islam are often fanned as a way to settle scores against non-Muslims.

The anti-Christian violence is the latest unrest in the world’s fifth-most populous country, where on Monday a little-known senator, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, was sworn in as caretaker prime minister to see through elections.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday offered congratulations to Kakar in a post on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.

"As Pakistan prepares for free and fair elections, in accordance with its constitution and the rights to freedom of speech and assembly, we will continue to advance our shared commitment to economic prosperity," Blinken said.

Kakar, who earlier promised "stern action" against the Faisalabad attackers, thanked Blinken in his own post on X.

"The interim government will be assiduously working to facilitate a free and fair election process in Pakistan," his post said.

"We place importance on our partnership with the US and deeply value the shared commitment to economic prosperity, democracy and stability in the region," added Kakar.

Pakistan has been wracked by instability after Imran Khan, the country’s most popular politician, was removed as prime minister and more recently jailed on corruption charges that his supporters call an attempt to bar him from office.

Khan has accused the United States of working to oust him, claims strongly denied by Washington, which says that it had policy disagreements with Khan.