Catholic schools and colleges to remain closed for three days

Karachi: All schools and colleges which are part of the Catholic Board of Education will remain closed for three days, from Monday (today) to Wednesday. This was announced by Catholic Board of Education President Archbishop Evarist Pinto, while strongly condemning the barbaric atrocities on Christians in Gojra and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Minorities Forum for Human Rights (PMFHR) has announced that it will not observe International Minority Day, which falls on August 11. Moreover, on Independence Day (August 14), they will tie black armbands and stay away from all activity associated with the day, All-Pakistan Minority Alliance Sindh Secretary general (PMFHR coordinator and former Sindh Assembly member) Michael Javed said on Sunday.

On behalf of the minority communities, he appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Muhammad Iftikhar Chaudhry, to take stern action against the people involved in this incident.

Javed was briefing the local media at the Karachi Press Club regarding the Gojra violence. Other members and representatives of religious minorities were present to express their solidarity with the Christians.

He lamented that none of the accused had been arrested yet, nor had a single MNA, MPA, civil society member or human rights group raised a voice against this incident. "The miscreants used dangerous chemicals possessed by the military and extremists only. They killed people and animals with it and the police failed to arrest anyone," he added.

He further said that it need to be investigated as to who provided them the deadly chemicals which ignited immediately, burning people and turning houses into ashes. Houses, cattle farms as well as water suctions pumps were turned into ashes and no serious efforts were made to save human lives or property. The mobs also looted valuables from homes, he added.

As many as seven people of a family were burnt alive and many injured by the assailants who belonged to nearby villages, Javed said, adding that the mob did not bother to investigate the matter and even attacked people at a wedding ceremony.

According to the PMFHR, 45 people initially attacked the Christian community and called others to help them. "The attackers accused the local Christians of having desecrated the Holy Quran, which was not true at all. We respect the Holy Quran in the same manner as we revere our Holy Books," Javed told journalists.

This was the third incident of its kind within a month in Punjab and unfortunately, no one has been arrested and produced in the courts yet, he said, adding that inaction on the part of the police and the local administration in the past had compounded the problem because certain elements thought that they could get away with such act.

Catholic Association General Secretary Sardar Iqbal also condemned the brutal act of killing six Christians living in Gojra and setting ablaze more than 50 houses in the Christian Colony.

"We salute our Prime Minister, the President of Pakistan who called on the Chief Minister of Punjab to take immediate action to protect the Christian colony at Gojra and bring the culprit to justice," he said.

Iqbal made a firm appeal to all Christians to remain peaceful and united, and hope that the government of Pakistan will protect Christian colonies scattered all over Pakistan.