More than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches in Pakistan were vandalised when a Muslim mob rampaged through the streets over alleged blasphemy this week, according to a top police official. The events unfolded in the city of Jaranwala in Punjab province, where an angry crowd of Muslim men torched homes and churches.

The police chief personally interrogated the two Christian brothers accused of desecrating the Koran to avoid accusations of torture. The police have arrested an additional 128 people linked to the rampage, and measures have been put in place to provide reassurance to the Christian community, such as guarding churches and compensating the victims for their losses.

Christians in Pakistan, who make up about two percent of the population, often face spurious blasphemy allegations and live on one of the lowest rungs in society.