The perpetrators of the Gojra carnage will not be spared at any cost, he said.

He said Swat militants who are on the run have played a role in the violence and 'we will make sure they are run out (driven out) from Punjab too'.

Tension has been running high between the Muslims and Christians in the area over the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran.

Television footage showed burning of houses, streets strewn with blackened furniture and people firing at one another from their rooftops.

Taseer said the allegation of police negligence in the incident is being investigated.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti alleged a mob 'misled by extremists' attacked a Christian neighbourhood and torched dozens of houses.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said a preliminary investigation showed there was no desecration of the Holy Quran. 'It was just a rumour which was exploited by anti-state elements to create chaos.'