Church bulldozed in the presence of Police officials in Lahore, Pakistan

12/24/07 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – A Church situated at Abubakar Block, Garden Town in Lahore was bulldozed by a mob in the presence of a large number of policemen and the Christian families were evicted from their houses on December 16, 2007 in Lahore, Pakistan.

A local Christian told the media that it was done all of a sudden while the policemen were present at the Church gate. The offenders reportedly used bulldozers and other heavy machinery to demolish the Church.

Mushtaq Bhatti, Secretary General, Lahore Church Council stated that the armed offenders who demolished the Church allegedly on behalf of an influential businessman and a minister earlier disgraced the Christians including their women and children by forcing them out of the premises while the local police officials kept silence over the situation and barred other Christians from entering the Church’s premises on Sunday, December 16, 2007.

Bhatti also said that the Church was totally demolished despite the fact that a delegation of the Christian community met and informed the government officials a few days earlier that some people had already made an attempt to occupy the Church building on December 11 and the residents of the Church were threatened with eviction.

Bhatti blamed the local Superintendent of Police of having involvement and supporting the culprits in the case. He complained that the Christian community tried their best to contact and inform the local authorities, but no one responded to their requests for help.

Backing Bhatti, Munir Khokar, another representative of the community, said that the local Christians had already registered a First Information Report # 914/7 at the police station against the attempt to occupy the Church, but police made no arrest. He further said that the mob desecrated the holy Cross and the Bible also.

Younas Sheraz, Secretary General, All Pakistan Minorities’ Rights Action Committee, said that the demolition of a Church had hurt the feelings of the Christians and they were suffering from great mental distress and feelings of deprivation. He condemned the act and stated that it was the failure of the administration and demanded security and protection of places of worship belonging to religious minorities, especially during Christmas season.

Sheraz said that thousands of Christians would appear before the Model Town Courts to protest on December 19, 2007 in the afternoon.

The police officials were not available for comment, despite repeated efforts.