JI extends every help to Christians :Liaqat Baloch

Lahore: Secretary General, Jamaat e Islami, Liaqat Baloch, on Sunday torched by a violent mob a day earlier, to express solidarity with the affected people and assured them all out support. The Bishop of Lahore, well known Christian leader J. Salik, and the area priest were also present on the occasion.

Liaqat Baloch went round the burnt houses and the camps set up for the affected families and also met the women and the children in the camps. He was accompanied by other party leaders including Zikrullah Mujahid and ex-MPA, Ch. Shaukat Ali.

Talking to the media on the occasion, Liaqat Baloch said that according to Islamic teachings, the torching of a Christian Church or any other place of worship, or any revealed book including the Bible was an unpardonable crime like the blasphemy of the Holy Quran and a mosque.

He said, it was the responsibility of the Punjab government to provide protection to the residents of the Joseph colony but it had failed in this respect primarily because the intelligence agencies and law enforcement institutions were busy in the security of the rulers alone. He pointed out that in the past, there had been such tragedies at Khanewal, Gojra and Karachi, as well. He said the Christian minority in Pakistan was as patriotic as the other Pakistanis and had been playing a major role in the national development.

Liaqat Baloch said that whenever such an incident occurred, the rulers made tall claims but no practical measures were taken to prevent such tragedies in the future. He said that the Shia and Sunnis as well as the minorities and the Muslims were living in an atmosphere of brotherhood. However, conspiracies had always been hatched to pit them against each other and to shatter the national harmony.

He called for exposing the miscreants and bringing them to the book besides practical steps to protect the life and property of all the minorities.

Liaqat Baloch directed the workers of the Al-Khidmat Foundation, the welfare wing of the JI, to spare no effort for the welfare and rehabilitation of the affectees of the tragedy.