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Pakistan's Lahore tense for funerals of church blast victims Pakistan Christians hold funerals for church blast victims
(about 4 hours later)
Pakistani security forces have sealed off a neighbourhood in Lahore as Christians bury the victims of two Taliban suicide bomb attacks. Hundreds of Pakistani Christians have attended funerals for the victims of two Taliban suicide bomb attacks in the city of Lahore.
Two churches in the Youhanabad area were bombed on Sunday, leading to riots by Christians who lynched two men. Security was tight, with police sealing off Lahore's biggest Christian neighbourhood and submitting those attending to security checks.
Police and paramilitary forces have now closed off the main road into the district with rails and barbed wire. Sunday's bombings of two churches in the Youhanabad area left 17 people dead and more than 70 wounded.
The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil, who is in Lahore, says that the atmosphere is calm but tense. Two days of rioting by Christians followed, with two men lynched.
It is reported that up to 5,000 police and paramilitary rangers have been deployed while funerals of Sunday's victims take place. A reported 5,000 police and paramilitary rangers were deployed on Tuesday to try to prevent further rioting.
Senior cleric Bishop Irfan Jameel has appealed for calm, promising that a memorial would be built to honour the "martyrs of Youhanabad". Shops were closed as grieving relatives made their way towards burial grounds. The main road into the district was closed with rails and barbed wire.
Shops were also shut as grieving relatives made their way towards burial grounds.
"I would like to tell these terrorists if they think that they can push us back from our faith, they are deadly, entirely, very much at fault," said Manual Mani, a pastor attending the funerals.
The attacks during Sunday mass have been condemned by representatives of all religions in Pakistan.
Pakistan's ChristiansPakistan's Christians
The suicide bombers struck during Sunday mass, claiming the lives of 17 people and leaving more than 70 wounded. The attacks were condemned by representatives of all religions in Pakistan. They also criticised the mob violence that followed, as angry Christian crowds threw stones, blocked roads and lynched two men they accused of being involved in the attack. The family of one of the men has told a Pakistani newspaper that he was an innocent shopkeeper and had not been a militant.
They also criticised the mob violence that followed, as angry Christian crowds threw stones, blocked roads and lynched two men they accused of being involved in the attack. The family of one of the men has told a Pakistani newspaper that he was an innocent shopkeeper and had not been a militant.
Riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse rioters on Monday.Riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse rioters on Monday.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, speaking at the National Assembly on Tuesday, also condemned the reprisal attacks, saying that they constituted "the worst form of terrorism".Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, speaking at the National Assembly on Tuesday, also condemned the reprisal attacks, saying that they constituted "the worst form of terrorism".
"A similar incident occurred right at the heart of Paris where a synagogue was attacked," Mr Nisar said, "but the minority Jews did not react violently in the French capital.""A similar incident occurred right at the heart of Paris where a synagogue was attacked," Mr Nisar said, "but the minority Jews did not react violently in the French capital."
Christians make up less than 2% of Pakistan's population and many are among its poorest people.Christians make up less than 2% of Pakistan's population and many are among its poorest people.
Members of the Christian community say that the riots are a show of anger and frustration from a community that feels unprotected and abandoned by the government.Members of the Christian community say that the riots are a show of anger and frustration from a community that feels unprotected and abandoned by the government.