PTI leadership remembers Quetta church attack victims at candlelit vigil

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) top leadership on Friday remembered the Quetta church attack victims at a candlelit vigil here to show solidarity with the Christian community preparing to celebrate Christmas on December 25.

A large number of representatives of the Christian community, including member of provincial assembly (MPA) Shanila Rohwat, were present on the occasion. They chanted slogans against the terrorists responsible for the church attack and urged the government to protect all minorities living in the country. They said that the Christians were Pakistanis by heart and they would live and die for the sake of the country.

Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rashid and PTI top leadership, including Yasmin Rashid, Andleeb Abbas, Ijaz Chaudhry, Waleed Iqbal and others participated in the candlelit vigil held at the Charing Cross and assured full support to the Christian community. They said that the purpose of the candlelit vigil was to give a message to the Christian community that the PTI leadership was with them on the occasion of Christmas, and had not forgotten those who laid their lives in the terrorist attack in Quetta.

The Pakistani Christians were yet again targeted by terrorists on December 17 when terrorists stormed Quetta’s Bethel Memorial Methodist Church, which left at least nine people dead and 30 others injured in the suicide attack.

Mehmoodur Rashid on the occasion said that the whole PTI leadership was with the Christian community to share their grief. He said that the PTI believed in a society that practiced religious harmony and brotherhood.

PTI leader Yasmin Rashid said that her party believed in religious harmony and would not allow the terrorists to succeed in their nefarious designs. She urged the government to protect the rights of minorities at all costs.

PTI leader Ijaz Chaudhry assured full support to the Christian community and said that his party would stand by the Christians through thick and thin.

Another party leader Waleed Iqbal said that Allama Muhammad Iqbal had envisioned a Pakistan where all communities could live with peace. He stressed the need to follow Iqbal’s vision and protect the minorities and their worship places.