Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that three more victims of the Gojra riots have died from their injuries as hundreds of Christians blocked roads in Lahore to protest against the government, which began a judicial inquiry into the riots yesterday.

The three Christians died from their injuries on August 3 and 5, bringing the confirmed death toll to 11. The president of Pakistan sent the governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, to Gojra on August 4 to express solidarity with the local Christians, and he admitted that "if the government had taken timely action, the Gojra riots could have been averted."

Local Christian organizations organized a protest in the Youhanabad neighborhood of Lahore. Hundreds of Christians blocked major roads, shouting "the cold-blooded killers are accountable for the bloodshed of Christians" and criticizing the provincial Punjabi government for refusing to protect Christians in spite of ample warnings as to what was about to happen. The Christians called on the government to protect Christians and repeal Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court initiated an investigation under Judge Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman, who visited Gojra earlier this week, recording 444 statements from residents as he extended his condolences and pledged his full support for the Christian victims. The government has promised to deliver financial aid to the victims of the riots by today, August 7.

The government's official stance is that the riots were influenced by terrorists fleeing from the Swat Valley, who wanted to damage relations between Pakistan and the West and distract from the Pakistani army's success against the Taliban.

The government has pledged to hunt down the terrorists, and directed security forces to provide "foolproof se! curity&q uot; to all religious minorities, their residences and places of worship.

International Christian Concern