Source:  www.assistnews.net

Date:  2008-03-27

Muslim men attack Christian family and set their house on fire

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

SHEIKHUPURA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Two government employees, Mr. Qurban Ali Mangi and Mr. Abid Ali, hired and led 10 armed men on February 25, 2008, to attack the family of a Christian man who exposed their illegal activities to their superiors in district Sheikhupura, near Lahore.

The Washington DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) (www.persecution.org) has cited an unnamed local source as saying that Boota Masih, 35, has been employed at the Gapgo poll plant in Gujranwala as a sanitary worker for the past two years. During his work, Masih observed that Qurban Ali Mangi and Abid Ali were engaging in corrupt and illegal activities, and submitted a complaint to their superiors. As a result, Mangi and Ali were formally charged with corruption and brought to justice through the state courts, it said.

In revenge, about 10 armed men led by Mangi and Ali attacked the Christian family and injured Masih, his wife Sema, his son Adeel and his nephew Akram. The attackers ransacked the entire house and set it on fire. They then warned Masih of worse if he attempted to contact the police. As though destroying Masih's house and belongings was not enough, the gang of armed men forced the family to leave the area, it added.

According to the ICC Masih did report their actions to the police, but the local police initially refused to register a case against the government officials.

"They only did so after the intervention of the local court, it said. However, the culprits had not yet been arrested and Masih's family had not been allowed to come back home at the time this report was written", said the report.

The ICC quoted a local newspaper's report that said that Sema, Masih's wife, was warned by an anonymous person that her husband would be murdered. The family is currently in hiding due to the death threat and the reporter was unable to get an update, it said.