Protection Sought Against Threats to Charsadda Christians

May 27, 2007

Source: Dawn

http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/28/nat19.htm

ISLAMABAD, May 27: The All-Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has demanded that the government should provide protection to the Christian community in Charsadda against threats by radical Islamic groups.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, chairman APMA Shahbaz Bhatti rejected claims of the Charsadda police to have solved the mystery behind threatening letters to the Christian community. He demanded that the government should arrest the responsible and curb growing religious extremism in society.

Mr Bhatti expressed concern over the procedure of investigation by the Charsadda police, who claimed that a fifth grade student had written the message.

However, he added, the boy had denied the allegation that he had sent letters to the Christians of Charsadda giving them an ultimatum to embrace Islam within ten days or face the consequences.

He said the government’s higher authorities were informed of the situation and threats faced by the five hundred Christians in Charsadda but the officials had responded halfheartedly to their concerns.