ICC Note: Sunil Saleem, a Pakistani Christian in Lahore, was beaten to death by hospital security guards and doctors after an anti-Christian incident involving Saleem’s pregnant sister. According to Saleem’s family, the doctor on duty refused to help Saleem’s sister who was experiencing labor pains. When confronted, the doctor used derogatory language and assaulted Saleem’s sister, instigating the conflict. Discrimination against Christians in Pakistan is widespread and often leads to violent altercations.

03/29/2018 Pakistan (Morning Star News) – Medical staff and security guards at a major government hospital in Lahore, Pakistan on Monday (March 26) killed a Christian father of four and injured five members of his family, including the pregnant sister he had brought because she was in labor, sources said.

Anil Saleem said that he, his brother Sunil Saleem and other relatives had taken their pregnant sister Kiran Kashif to the emergency labor ward of the Government Services Institute of Medical Sciences (commonly known as Services Hospital), because she was suffering labor pains.

“Kiran went to the doctor on duty, Dr. Saira, who was playing with her cell phone while sipping on tea,” Anil Saleem said. “Dr. Saira told Kiran to wait outside until she finished her tea. We waited for some time, but since Kiran was experiencing severe pain, she again went inside the ward to request for immediate attention.”

As soon as the woman in labor approached Dr. Saira, she started cursing her for not waiting and told a nurse to attend her, he said.

“When my sister protested against the rude behavior, the doctor started slapping her, throwing her on the floor,” Anil Saleem said. “She asked my sister how dare a Chuhri [a derogatory term for Christians] question her order?”

On hearing the commotion, Anil Saleem, his brother, brother-in-law Kashif Ashiq and cousins Raza Guddu and Kashif Robin entered the ward, but as soon as she saw them, Dr. Saira shouted to the other doctors and security guards to lock the ward’s doors from the inside and “teach these Christians a lesson,” Anil Saleem said.

“Around 15 to 20 paramedical staff and security guards and eight to 10 young doctors, including Dr. Salman, Dr. Irfan, Dr. Hasan and Dr. Sahi lunged at us with iron rods, chairs, leather belts and other things and started beating us,” he said. “Sunil, a police constable in the National Highway and Motorway Police, tried his best to placate the assailants but they continued to beat him mercilessly, kicking and punching him in the groin and chest until he fell unconscious.”

Anil Saleem and the three other men tried to defend themselves, but they were greatly outnumbered and were saved only when police arrived, he said.

He said that the doctors also beat the crew of a local news channel who happened to be in the hospital at that time; published reports indicate the altercation spilled into the hospital corridor, which they caught on film.

After a delay in treatment, Sunil Saleem died for lack of timely emergency medical assistance, he said.

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