Date:                March 23, 2007

By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A protest demonstration was staged in front of the Lahore Press Club on Thursday, March 22, against the Adiala Jail's administration as the Christian inmates have been deprived of their right to offer prayer meetings after demolition of a church on the jail's premises. Pakistan based English daily "Daily Times" said in its March 21 report that a church on the jail premises was demolished and quoted a jail official as saying that there was no church on the jail premises and the Christian inmates had been allocated a specific room for offering prayers.

The biased attitude of the jail administration angered the Christian inmates who have announced to maintain hunger strike until they get a worship place.

The protest demonstration in the eastern city of Lahore was held under the auspices of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan. The activists of Pakistan National Christian Party and human rights organizations participated in the demonstration to express solidarity with the protesting Christian prisoners.

According to the SLMP's news release its Chief Coordinator Sohail Johnson condemned the jail administration for their discriminatory posture toward the Christian prisoners.

Describing the maltreatment of Christian prisoners at the hands of Jail management "as something not new", he underscored that the prisoners were unable to offer prayers together during Lent.

Johnson urged the government of Pakistan to safeguard the rights of the Christian prisoners. He called for their treatment on the basis of equality.

The news release quoted him as saying that it was shameful for the jail management that it snubbed the Christian prisoners and did not allow them to exercise their right to offer prayers.

Senior Vice Chairman of Pakistan Christian National Party (PCNP) urged the Christian community of Pakistan to forge unity in their ranks, the news release said.

Our Correspondent adds: If Muslim inmates of a prison in some Christian state were facing difficulty in gathering for prayers the hardliner Muslim clerics would have created a law and order situation by staging demonstrations, sit-ins and attacks on churches in Pakistan.