Three Christians have been shot and wounded in a Christmas Day taking pictures on the house of a pastor and televangelist in Lahore, Pakistan, sources mentioned.
After a Christmas Eve confrontation during which Pastor Shahzad Siddique tried to cease Muslims from harassing company, greater than a dozen gunmen the subsequent day opened hearth on Christians at a gathering exterior his house in Lahore's Maryam Colony, mentioned Siddique, a Pentecostal preacher on satellite tv for pc tv. Chvála TV channel.
“I had simply returned house from church and was resting when unidentified motorcyclists opened hearth in entrance of my home,” Sidique informed Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information.
He referred to as the police hotline and inside 25 minutes an assistant sub-inspector and one other officer arrived; on the identical time, some members of the congregation arrived for the deliberate Christmas holidays, he mentioned.
“I used to be informing the police concerning the firing incident when instantly youths on motorbikes got here there and opened indiscriminate hearth on us,” Siddique mentioned. “Sadly, three individuals – my uncle, the motive force and a member of the corps – suffered gunshot wounds to the arm, stomach and leg. We managed to catch one assailant whereas the others fled on foot, leaving 5 bikes behind.”
Two of the three injured male members of the church, Pastor Siddique's uncle Arif Masih and the motive force Adnan Pervaiz, have been out of hazard, however the third Christian, Akash Patras, remained in critical situation with an belly wound, the pastor mentioned. Police have arrested 5 suspects and are conducting raids at places to nab extra attackers, he mentioned.
“I believed that this nation was secure for us, however now I’m pressured to confess that it’s not secure to be a Christian in Pakistan,” Pastor Siddique informed Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. “I’ve at all times preached peace and tolerance, however this unprovoked assault has proven that extremist parts don’t need a peaceable society.”
Nasir Jameel, a neighbor of Pastor Siddique and a member of his church, mentioned the assault was the results of a minor argument on Christmas Day.
“Pastor Siddique was main a gathering of church members together with younger women and girls on December 24 when a bunch of native Muslims in a automotive began misbehaving with the individuals,” Jameel informed Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. “Pastor Siddique and different elders confronted the Muslims and informed them to not provoke the congregation members. This should have angered the Muslims and led them to plan the assault.”
Shehrbano Naqvi, Assistant Superintendent of Police Protection Circle, mentioned police try to arrest all of the attackers.
“We’ll be certain that all these concerned on this incident are arrested and punished,” she mentioned, confirming the arrest of 5 suspects. “We’ve additionally deployed police safety within the space to guard the Christian residents.
Joseph Jansen of the authorized group Voice for Justice referred to as the assault on Pastor Siddique's house “deeply disturbing and unacceptable”.
“This act of violence, pushed by spiritual hatred, highlights the intense downside of intolerance and discrimination,” Jansen mentioned. “The federal government of Pakistan should act decisively to carry accountable those that incite such hatred and assault people and locations of worship.”
Jansen expressed concern concerning the persevering with tradition of impunity in Pakistan, which leaves spiritual minorities in fixed concern of violence.
“Inaction towards the perpetrators has allowed extremist forces to flourish unchecked, additional exacerbating the risk to susceptible communities,” Jansen informed the Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. “Pakistan's failure to guard minority rights and stop spiritual violence additionally undermines its worldwide obligations.”
Pastor Siddique referred to as on the officers to arrest all of the attackers and be certain that they’re punished in accordance with the legislation.
“I additionally attraction to the federal government to make sure the security of our neighborhood,” he mentioned.
Violence towards Christians in Pakistan has escalated lately. On 16 August 2023, a Muslim mob attacked a Christian neighborhood in Jaranwala Tehsil, Punjab province, setting hearth to a number of church buildings and homes of Christians after two Christians have been accused of writing blasphemous content material and desecrating the Quran.
Of greater than 300 individuals arrested for the violence, just one continues to be in jail, the remainder are free on bail as a consequence of a failed police investigation, rights advocates say.
As within the earlier yr, Pakistan was ranked seventh on the checklist of essentially the most tough locations for Christianity within the Open Doorways 2024 World Watch Checklist.
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