Fresh attack on Pakistani Christians injured 4, prompted protest

Christians in a colony in Southern Pakistan held demonstration Sunday against an attack on their colony in which four persons were injured leading to forcible occupation of the colony's primary school, and have demanded for protection.

The attack came barely a month after a mob numbering about 600 people attacked 100 Christian homes in Kasur district, Punjab province destroying several houses, looting valuables and injuring many on blasphemy charge; further terrorizing the Christian community.

Pakistan Christian Post reported that Dr. Emanuel Shahzad, who led the demonstration said a bunch of people who claimed to be members of Peoples Party of Pakistan (PPP) attacked the residents of Christian colony Sikendarabad last week injuring four persons and forcibly occupying their colony's primary school.

Dr. Shahzad said, "That attack was made in presence of police who did not move to save the Christians and rather protected assailants who took control of primary school building and threw children out of it."

"More than 1200 homes of Christians were living at Christian Colony Sikendarabad near Kotri since before creation of Pakistan."

He said that some days back few persons Javed Shana, Wazir Khunharo, Amir Khunharo, Fida Khunharo, and other armed men who claim to be members of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) attacked the Christian Colony with iron sticks and Dandas beat the residents of colony in which 4 Christians Imdad Masih, Waris Masih, Riaz Masih and Asif Masih were brutally injured. He said that injured were taken to Taluka hospital in Kotri, Sindh province.

Dr. Shahzad said they brought the whole incident to the notice of District Coordination Officer and District Police but they did not take any action and school still remains under the control of assailants.

He said that when police failed to take action against the attackers, they have now started to threaten them of death.

Shahzad said the Christians of this colony numbering more than 6000 were passing nights and days under threats and were feeling danger to their lives. He also said that whenever any Christian goes out of colony he is beaten by the goons (Ghundas) who are keeping watch on them.

He said Javed Shana, the ringleader is notorious with many cases against him on various police stations but police fails to take action against him.

What seems to have complicated the matter is that the incident took place in Sindh province and the representative of the Christian community who is from anther province is hesitant to take the matter for some reason, the source said.

When CPC asked Dr. Emanuel why not approach federal minister Shahbaz Bhatti who represents Christian community in Pakistani government; he said Bhatti cannot help them because when in past they approached to him for help his reply was that he belongs to Punjab so cannot come to their help.

Shahzad and the demonstrators have demanded action against the assailants, recovery of primary schools from clutches of goons (Ghundas) and to providing protection to Christian community.

"The terrorists were roaming around Christian colony with arms and they might kidnap their women folk or kill their men," he said.

Open Doors, a Christian ministry specialized in monitoring and defending persecuted Christians have placed Pakistan at 13 spot under "severe limitations" category along with countries like China, Myanmar (Burma), Qatar, Mauritania, Vietnam, etc, where Christians continue to face many kinds of persecution.