ISLAMABAD, June 26: All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Chairman Shahbaz Bhatti has condemned a police raid on a bookshop run by “Daughters of St Paul” nuns in Karachi.

The APMA chief, in a press release issued here on Sunday, appealed to the chief justice of Sindh High Court to constitute of a judicial commission and unmask elements behind the ‘conspiracy’.

He also urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to take serious notice of the incident and suspend police officials concerned.

Mr Bhatti said: “This unethical, illogical and inhuman act of the police has insulted the sanctity of the bookshop and hurt the religious sentiments of Christians.

“We also condemn inaccurate, biased and unfounded press reports in Karachi newspapers on this issue.”

Daughters of St Paul nuns in Karachi are running this bookshop since 1948 in which they have CDs, videos and Christian literature. This bookshop offers faith-enriching material about Christian religion and moral teachings.

He said the contents of the audio, videos and text-based material were in conformity with Christian teachings, adding that there was no literature or material available in the bookshop which hurt the feelings or belief of other religions.

Mr Bhatti said Preedy police raided the bookshop and ‘insulted Christian institution, even the nuns were harassed and intimidated’.

“It is a conspiracy to damage Christian-Muslim unity and such acts also create hurdles in the campaign of religious tolerance and interfaith harmony.”

He appealed to the religious leaders of all faiths to condemn this act.