By Caroline Davies in Jaranwala, northeast PakistanBBC News
Khamil KhanFour months ago, the Christian community in the northeastern Pakistani town of Jaranwala saw two dozen churches and dozens of homes ransacked by hundreds of protesters. Subsequently, the government promised money to help with reconstruction. But as they prepare for Christmas, many are still living with the damage and shock of the attack.
The Christmas carol procession makes its way through the lanes of Jaranwala, gathering singers as it goes.
We start with the church, the priest, two drummers, around fifteen enthusiastic singers, lighting the dark streets with telephone torches. With each turn, more and more people come to their doorstep to join us.
The children are dressed in their best Christmas clothes, some singing their favorite Christmas carols. Others shyly join in, dressed in sparkling dresses with glittering bows, Santa hats and light-up sneakers, stomping the streets. Some older boys throw small firecrackers and laugh while their mothers yell at them for setting them off.
Khamil KhanChristmas traditions in Jaranwala have renewed importance for Pastor Rizwan Mill this year.
“Christmas is now in all our hearts,” he said, taking a short break from leading the congregation. “Christ is my savior for me. He saved me during the hours of the attack. He is all our savior.”
On August 16, thousands of people gathered in Jaranwala, angry over allegations that a member of the Christian community had deliberately damaged pages of the Holy Quran. People were accused of blasphemy.
The crowds became violent, attacking churches and private homes. Many members of the Christian community fled, spending the night in open fields, fearing to return to the city. Although nine police officers were injured, no civilians lost their lives.
Police have promised justice, arresting more than 350 people, while the government has promised to help restore trust and buildings.
Authorities said the 22 churches attacked have now been renovated and reopened: the walls are still covered in fresh paint and the floors smell like new carpet.
In addition to government money, works and donations from charities, NGOs and awareness programs between local mosques and churches have been made.
But four months later, some houses still bear the scars of that night.
We find Saima sitting in the only room of her house still intact, surrounded by blackened walls. The money was paid, she said, but when distributed among all the family members who live in the building, it wasn’t enough. The damage is significant and repair work takes time.
Khamil Khan“It was a very beautiful house,” she told me.
“My parents built it, they saved every penny for it. It takes a lifetime to build a house. And now it’s all burned. Everything we had, it’s all burned.”
She says the whole family – including her, her siblings and their children, four families in total – received two million rupees, or around $7,100 (£5,586).
Some of that money went toward rent for those who can’t stay in the house. Now, only Saima and a sister-in-law live in the only habitable room.
“We’re so tired,” she told me softly. She starts to cry. “In this room there are no facilities, there is no light, no water, we have nothing. We just want this house to be rebuilt.”
Jaranwala authorities told the BBC that 78 households had been identified by a damage assessment committee and each had received two million rupees. The amount, they claim, was decided after examining the damage to each house.
Across the road, work is still underway at Sonam’s house.
When we visited in August, one room was still smoking, another had a broken window. The bed had been thrown from the first floor into the street.
Today, the rooms are repainted and fitted with new furniture, although the bedroom door still has blunt holes cut into the wood by rioters. The memories are also still close to the surface.
“We don’t feel safe here,” says Sonam.
“The fear that entered our hearts is still there. At the slightest cry in the street, everyone comes out to see what is happening because we are so afraid. It is very difficult to trust again.”
“As a society and a police force, we need to rebuild trust,” says city police officer Capt. Ali Zia. “Both have already done a lot to achieve this.”
But a certain anger persists.
At the time of the attacks, some criticized the police for failing to stop the damage or intervene before the crowd took control.
“Our first priority was to save lives,” says Captain Zia. “The second was to save property. Nine police officers were injured that day; the police actually paid the price. Overall, we have the trust of the people.”
Police say about a quarter of the 350 people initially arrested are still in prison. The others are released on bail, but authorities insist charges will still be brought against them.
“There is a legal procedure,” explains Captain Zia. “The police and the government are two of the main actors involved. We want to show that this act will not be tolerated in the future. If we do not guarantee justice, this will continue.”
Captain Zia hopes the trials will begin in early 2024. Until then, police are reluctant to comment on the details of the blasphemy case and the violent mob. But regarding the violence in the streets, police say there is no indication the reaction was planned in advance and instead believe the call to protest spread spontaneously through social media.
Khamil KhanIn Jaranwala, the Christmas carol procession finally returns to the church where it started.
The children begin to demonstrate their carefully rehearsed Christmas dance routines, performing on a stage wallpapered with images of snowmen, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus.
In August, it was one of the churches still on fire hours later.
“We still feel this moment,” Saima tells me. “But we hope that everything that happened has passed. That’s what we want. That’s what we pray for.”
