ICC Note: A group of Christians were attacked by a mob of Muslims in Pakistan’s Punjab province after a dispute over land erupted into a communal clash. According to local reports, the Muslims were attempting to demolish a Catholic church, protected by court order, that is at the center of the land dispute. As a result, several Christians were injured, including a child whose arm was broken.  

08/21/2018 Pakistan (The Express) – A group of Christians were attacked by an angry mob as they attempted to protect their church from being demolished by a tractor in a major row over the land – with the assault leaving a child with a broken arm.

Children were also beaten by the gang of 50 Muslims in the August 2 attack that took place on church property in Kasur, a Punjab province on the Pakistan-India border.

The church in question has been named as St Matthew’s Catholic Church and is currently under construction.

It serves around 40 families in a community that built the congregation with their own cash.

Victim, Bashir Masih, told Christianity watchdog International Christian Concern (ICC): “A charged mob of over 50 Muslim men, led by a local Muslim, attacked the Christians at Waran Chak Balyana village in Kasur on August 2, 2018.

“They have carried a dispute with the local Christians over a piece of land for years.

“The lower court of Kasur has already issued a ‘stay-order’ for the piece of land for both the parties in January 2018 which will expire on 17th of the next month.

“However, the Muslims wanted to grab the church property using their social and religious pressure.”

Reports state the mob ringleader tried to demolish the church’s surrounding land with a tractor before being warned off violating a court order by the Christians.

The man, according to ICC, shouted profanities at the Christians and told them “Building a church is nonsense” before the gang attacked men, women and children from the church.

The mob was also said to have thrown stones at the under-construction church causing damage.

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