Church of Scotland Trust asks help to stop illegal property sales

Islamabad—Church of Scotland Trust has sought the help of the Government to stop the illegal sale of property of worship places of minorities and denationalization of Murray College Sialkot, which was the property of the Trust. A four member delegation of Church of Scotland Trust headed by Dr. Peter J David, Attorney Church of Scotland in Pakistan called on Minister of State for National Harmony, Akram Masih Gill here on Thursday. Asia Secretary of Scotland world Mission Council, Mr. Sandy and Dr. Andrew Macllen, President Church of Scotland World Mission Council were also present in the meeting.

The delegation apprised the minister of occupation of land allocated for worship places of the minorities in Pakistan and added that property of Churches in Sialkot , Daska, Jalapur Jattan and Wazirabad is being sold illegally. The delegation informed the minister that Murray College and about 12 other Schools in the area of Sialkot were property of Church of Scotland Trust and nationalized in the past.

The delegation requested the minister to play role to stop the illegal sale of property of Churches and denationalization of educational institutions, which were the property of the Church of Scotland Trust. The minister said government is trying its best to take steps for the social uplift of the minorities in the country and assured the delegation to extend all possible help to address the issue.

Armed Muslims damage altar, and desecrate Bible in Presbyterian Church

Muhammad Shoaib (alias Mota), entered a church accompanied with 3 armed men named  Iqbal Kumhar, Ashiq Machhi and another man, all of them were drunk; they began shouting at the congregation demanding they to turn off their Church's loudspeakers and pushing down the dais.

The miscreant; Muhammad Shoaib is the nephew of former MPA Mansha Sindhu,  PML-Q provincial lawmaker, Shoaib forcibly entered Numseoul Presbyterian Church in Lakhoki Kahna village (Lahore) with a 44-bore gun and a 30-bore pistol disrupting the Sunday mass, manhandling Church members  and throwing the Bible towards the wall desecrating the Cross and damaging the altar.

Police were reluctant to register an FIR and the SP of the local police station Malik Awais denied Shoaib carried weapons and that he was heavily intoxicated on the day of the incident; adding that no Bible was desecrated and stating that loudspeakers were “not even allowed in mosques,” he said the Christians were making false allegations and exaggerating the incident.

Pastor Ashraf Masih said that their Church was using loudspeakers only inside the church building.  The Church was established in the village by a South Korean ministry in 2004.

This is not Shoaib's first incident, he has earlier manhandled a 70 year old elder of the Church asking them to stop singing hymns.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was present in the area that day to inaugurate a housing scheme, this add pressure on the police to keep the Christians from blocking the road in protest.

Pastor Masih said that after an hour-long negotiation with Christian representatives, Sindhu agreed to have Shoaib publicly apologize, but that the police’s hostile attitude toward the Christians was evident in open support of Sindhu and his men.

Pakistan's widely criticized blasphemy law does not protect or apply to other religions except Islam when Holy books like Bibles or other scriptures are desecrated.  

Blasphemy case fabricated against father & son in Gujranwala [Mushtaq & Farrukh Gill]

Farrukh Mushtaq Gill and his father Mushtaq Gill, have been arrested for blasphemy friday evening from their residence in Gujaranwala. Farrukh is being charged with burning a Quran.
The father of the accused Mushtaq Gill, is an Elder of Presbyterian Church and a teacher at the Christian Technical Training Center in Guranjawala. Farrukh is employed at National Bank of Pakistan. This incident reports back to 2-3 months ago when someone charged Farrukh with desecrating the Quran however the Police did not proceed with the case.
Yesterday in a preplanned move a mob consisting of several clerics and locals pressured the police to arrest both the father and the son, seeing the present situation the police had no other option but to arrest the two men to control and please the mob, Police then assigned several officers in front of Gill's residence and on the roof-top as well to avoid any attacks. Christians residing in Gulzar Colony had moved to their relatives or friends houses in fear of being targeted by angry mobs. One of the residents said "This must be the lamest excuse in Pakistan that a Christian has burnt a Quran, the lawmakers and everyone else too knows it's a fabricated case and no Christian in Pakistan would do this but officials are either bribed or threatened by clerics backed by extremists"

Farrukh Gill was instructed by Church officials in the last incident to resign and search for another job as it could be possible someone was discriminating and targeting him as he was the only Christian employed there. Farrukh reported he has no enmity with anyone but many colleagues were not in favour of a Christian in their midst. However Farrukh had thought the problem was now over.
Yesterday rumors arose of an attack at Christian technical training center but the situation has been calm in the city since yesterday and all reports of attacks have been dismissed as false. Apparently it is claimed some mosques announced the incident and gathered more people however a few Christians claim they heard no such announcements in the area that they reside. Friday is an important prayer for Muslims and it is then that they have the most number of attendees.

The reason behind the false charges against Farrukh are still unknown and whether he is being framed due to discrimination or professional jealousy is unclear, however there seems to be no other motive at present.

Recently the blasphemy cases against Christians are on the rise with Arif Masih of a village near Chak Jhumra, Faisalabad being arrested last week in a fabricated case for property. Most are accused under the controversial blasphemy law of Pakistan for which Christians and many Muslims have protested against, Salman Taseer the outspoken brave Governor of Punjab was assassinated a few months ago over his support of the release of Aasia Bibi an accused of the Blasphemy case. Following Taseer was the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who held the position of Minorities minister and was in support of repealing the Blasphemy law. The 295-c law has many Christians as well as muslims arrested under false cases for personal grudges or enmity and even professional jealously, usually there is no procedural inquiry and without lack of evidence and statements of a few clerics or persons an FIR is registered.

In 2010 the Rashid brothers from Faisalabad, the country's third-largest city were released without lack of evidence by the court. Both brothers had been charged under the blasphemy law for distributing anti-Islam material, Rashid and Sajid Emmanuel were both shot by unknown assailants outside courtroom. The hatred in Pakistan has gradually increased against Christians due to the ignorant actions of Florida's Pastor Terry Jones who burned the Quran and planned the 'Burn a Koran day", Several Church officials had condemned his un-Christian actions and demanded his removal by the Church of America.