Posted: 04/21/2010 at 6:18pm | IP Logged

GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- For the last month, Christian residents of Rasoolpura Christian slum in Pakistan have been waiting prosecution and provision of justice against radical Muslim land-grabbers, who had unlawfully besieged and occupied several Christian homes.

What made the situation more extraordinary was that on March 21, 2010, when the land-grabbers attacked the Christian residents, they did so within the precincts of Dulley Police Station at Gujranwala city in Pakistan's Punjab province.

And still, a month later, the men are still at large despite the fact that the Christian victims have brought a legal suit against the Muslim land grabbers.

Talking to ANS in an exclusive interview, Khalid Gill, the provincial organizer of Christian Liberation Front (CLF) and The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) in Punjab province said Rasoolpura is "a big slum of pre-dominantly impoverished and destitute Christians."

Gill added that the Christians had been allotted homes by the Government of Pakistan.

Faqira Masih s/o Shahbaz Masih, the plaintiff, has framed a case against armed Muslim occupants at the Dulley Police Station, Gujranwala with First Information Report (FIR) #148/10, for allegedly besieging, illegally demolishing, desecrating Christian Holy Books and occupying several Christian homes at Rasoolpura, the electrical appliances manufacturing hub in Punjab province..

ANS has established that Gujranwala is renowned for Christian Boys & Girls High Schools with hostel facilities. There are two Christian Bible training seminaries and a technical vocational and computer teaching institute there.

Faqira Masih, the complainant, said in his plea to the police that he is demanding immediate arrest and prosecution of the Muslim land-grabbers.

Khalid Gill pledged that APMA would extend "full financial, moral, spiritual and legal assistance" to the Christian victims including Faqira Masih who dared to raise his voice against the injustice served to the Christian residents of Rasoolpura.

Replying to a question by ANS, Dulley Police corroborated the allegations leveled by Christians against the Muslim land-grabbers adding, Investigations pertaining to this case were under-way."

However, contrary to the Dulley Police statement obtained by ANS, Khalid Gill turned down their comments about the case, saying that Police "was idle and actually doing nothing against the rich, financially dominant, politically influential and powerful Muslim land-grabbers."

Faqira Masih asserted that it was not the first time that these Muslim radical men had attempted to occupy Christian homes. Masih singled out precedents from the past. He alleged that they had tried "many times to occupy Christian homes and sell them to other Muslim men using fake documents."

Masih stated to ANS that this time, a mob of armed Muslim men, attacked the Christian slum "brandishing deadly fire-arms and bamboo clubs and they also shot bullets in the air to harass unarmed peaceful Christians and occupied many Christians homes after they got Christians hemmed in."

Masih alleged that they made several emergency calls to the Police but they did not respond on time and even after the legal suit, "all of them were at large and none of the perpetrators have been apprehended.

Khalid Gill told ANS that APMA and CLF would "not let anyone subvert the liberties and rights of Christians in Pakistan."

He also censured the attack on the Rasoolpura Christians and underscored his view that the government was ought to repeal all discriminatory laws including controversial Blasphemy Laws of Pakistan Penal Code.

Gill added that "these laws must be nullified to meet the ends of the justice in Pakistan because they undermine the normal life of Pakistani Christian citizens."

Source: (ANS) www.assistnews.net