Police in Pakistan have arrested a local man after a church building in Punjab Province was damaged and Christian religious items were desecrated during the early hours of Monday.
The incident occurred at Feroz Din Taak Memorial Church in Ghanekey village, located in Kot Radha Kishan area of Kasur District. The church’s pastor, Reverend Tariq Masih, said the damage was discovered when he arrived to open the church for morning worship.
According to church leaders and police, the suspect entered the building by breaking a window. Inside the church, several Bibles were torn, the cross was bent, the sound system was damaged and other items used for worship were vandalised.
Police launched an investigation immediately after the incident was reported and located the suspect within a few hours. The district police chief, Muhammad Isa Khan, confirmed that the man had been arrested and had admitted responsibility. Legal proceedings are now underway.
Authorities have registered the case under Pakistan’s religious offence laws, which carry serious penalties, including lengthy prison sentences.
Community leaders stressed that the village has a long history of peaceful relations between Christians and Muslims. Following the attack, local Muslim residents and worshippers from a nearby mosque visited the church to show support and condemn the act. Muslim religious leaders in the area also publicly rejected the vandalism.
The church serves around 200 Christian families and is the only Christian place of worship in the village.
Provincial lawmaker Ejaz Alam Augustine, who visited the community after the incident, said the attack was not linked to organised religious extremism but was the result of a personal dispute. He explained that the suspect had previously argued with some Christian youths and later targeted the church in anger while under the influence of alcohol.
Although the desecration deeply hurt the Christian community, Augustine said the fast response by police helped restore confidence and prevented unrest.
Recent years have seen serious mob violence against Christians in other parts of Punjab, including attacks on churches and homes in Jaranwala in 2023 and Sargodha in 2024. In those cases, many suspects were detained, but most were later released.
Pakistan remains one of the most difficult countries in the world for Christians, ranking eighth on the 2025 World Watch List published by Open Doors.
Adapted from Christian Daily International / Morning Star News.
