Land mafia occupies and demolishes the Church

Written by Jawad Mazhar (ROD)

Lahore, Pakistan, Oct 18th (ROD):

Land mafia occupied and completely demolished St Joseph’s Catholic Church at Caritas Town, Defense road, Lahore Cantt. The Catholic Church had been at the service of local congregation from previous 12 years under the pastorate of Fr Fraince and his assistant Catechist Emmanuel Hakim.

All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Punjab’s coordinator Khalid Gill said that a land mafia consisting of Munir Masih Khokhar (Member of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and Member of District Council, Lahore), Ayub Khawar, Sajeel Bhatti and Ishtiaq Masih along with other affluent and influential Muslim accomplices, allegedly occupied and wiped out St Joseph’s Catholic Church completely at Caritas Town, Lahore.

According to Khalid Gill this land mafia occupied the church on Sept 12th, 2007 and desecrated it by looting the Holy Box, Holy Bibles and completely demolishing the church.

Gill also alleged that Munir Masih and accomplices stole 20 thousand bricks, 9 hundred

tiles, 2 Steel girders of 14 feet length, Iron windows, doors and Main Gate of the church.

Khalid Gill added that Church’s Catechist Emmanuel Hakim reported to the Station House Officer Mr Aftab Phularwan at the Police Station South Cantt on September 12th, 2007 but police neither took immediate action against the culprits nor registered a case.

Reverend Father Fraince priest of the church, Father Nasir Gulfam, several nuns and school children took on roads and protested against the atrocity of the land mafia and misconduct of the police in front of the Lahore Press Club.

Chief City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Malik Muhammad Iqbal took notice and instructed Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Police Muhammad Sattar to probe into the matter. Latter Sub Inspector (SI) Ibrar Hussian registered a First Information Report (FIR) # 1089/2007 against the assailants on Oct 4th, 2007 under the section 427,380 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) blatantly avoiding the proper sections to help the influential land mafia.

Gill apprised ROD that they had to met CCPO Malik Muhammad Iqbal again to request him to direct the concerned police authorities to insert proper sections of Pakistan Penal Code 295-A, 452, 13/20/65 and 148/149 in the FIR.

Khalid Gill regretted that police has an inclination towards the Land Mafia members and

ignore the pleas of Reverend Fathers; hence the culprits are at large.

Gill added that this land mafia is very professional and very skilled in occupying and selling the church property. He went on saying that this land mafia had occupied and sold church properties at Sargodha, Lahore, Sialkot and Wazirabad.