A Christian bishop on Saturday said the provincial government and local administration had failed to provide protection to Christians living in Mardan district for the last several years.
“It is astonishing that some extremists in the name of Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) burnt, destroyed and looted the church located in a sensitive area in the chief minister’s constituency and located near the house of CM’s father-in-law, the district police officer (DPO) and other senior police officials,” Bishop Peter Majeed told reporters.
He said the Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Mardan Cantt was constructed in 1937 and he was the fourth bishop of the church. He added that they collected charity to repair this church.
“We have already condemned the act of the person who produced an anti-Islam film,” adding that that person was not a Christian but a terrorist. He said the man periodically released such type of things to create differences among Christians and Muslims.
He said during Friday’s protests, hundreds of protesters entered the church and burnt it. He said they also looted the house of the bishop, father and school principal and also burnt the school and library in which more than 3,000 books about Bible and over 6,000 books about other religions, including Islam, were kept. The bishop said protesters also wanted to burn his child, Zeeshan, but “God protected him”. He said they contacted local police officials for help but they sent only five police constables for the protection of the church and the house which was “a joke”.
Majeed said the local administration was responsible for the destruction, adding that the attack was a pre-planned because the protesters had brought petrol to burn the church.
He demanded the government provide protection to Christians and also provide them funds for the reconstruction of the church, houses, school and library otherwise he warned that they would be compelled to migrate to other parts of the country.