LAHORE – Christian workers of the Solid Waste Management Company under the City District Government Lahore (CDGL), have submitted an application to the Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Station complaining against their Managing Director for blaspheming against their Prophet Jesus Christ (pbuh). Akram Gill, part of the union told Pakistan Today that they had approached Wasim Ajmal Chaudhry and had asked for two hours of relaxation each day till Easter (Aril 24), mainly because of the stress of fasting, but according to Akram, the MD spoke against them in response.
“He called us ‘chooray’ (untouchables) and said that we had no need for any relaxation,” said Gill. “We answered back saying he was himself whatever he called us, and said that we had to fast. To which he answered that our religion was a lie, and so was our book and prophet.” Gill says that they have been protesting for three days against the MD, but no media coverage and no public response has been given to them. On Saturday, about 1500 Christians gathered at the Lahore Press Club and walked around it holding placards and chanting slogans.
They demanded that their rights be given to them and the blasphemous remarks made by the MD should be dealt with legally. “How is it that so many Christians are filed for Blasphemy without any problems but now that we are complaining no one is taking note of this?” questions Akram Gill, who is representing the protestors. “I have announced at the Press Club that if our demands are not met and this man is not hanged or given a life sentence, then I will immolate myself publicly.”
Akram Gill also said that they had filed a petition in Sessions Court (in the court of Judge Saeedullah Mughal), and have given in a complaint to the police but the police says that investigation must be done before filing an FIR. “So many Christians have gone uninvestigated into jail for life sentences, why should they investigate this one only,” the Christians demanded. The Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Station SHO Shahid Ali told Pakistan Today that investigation was always important, and this basically meant statements of both the parties before an FIR was lodged.
“In practical matters we cannot just file FIRs at the behest of someone. So many people can come in every day and nominate someone in murder cases but we cannot just file them without interrogations,” he said. The Christians have protested twice at the Lahore Press Club and once at the Jain Mandir near Anarkali Bazaar on the matter. SWM MD Waseem Chaudhry speaking to Pakistan Today however deniesdthe accusations against him.
“I have been associated with a crime that I as a Muslim, and I as the head of a department cannot even think of,” says Chaudhry. He told PT that the original issue was that a section of the workers were disgruntled by the formation of a Lahore based company under the SWM department. He said that Akram Gill was one of the most ‘corrupt’ employees and had earlier been removed on charges of drinking on premesis, womanizing, corruption, and non-performance.
He said that Gill had tried to incite other workers by blaming him on incorrect grounds, and that he had already given his statement to the police. The protestors who collected at the press club, he said, were not even part of the company. “How can I hurt my own employees, as a manager, of whom 70 per cent are Christians themselves?” Chaudhry says that he has even been supported by many of the other Christian employees.
