June 20, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 04, 1428

FAISALABAD, June 19: Some 50 Christian residents of Chak 248-RB, Bismillah Pur, and surrounding areas on Tuesday staged a demonstration in front of DIG office seeking registration of a case against those who allegedly injured 10 people on Monday for making arrangements for a church ceremony.

They also condemned `expulsion’ of the injured from the Allied Hospital done allegedly under political pressure.

The protesters, who were also carrying those injured in Monday’s clash, gathered outside DIG (Operation) office and raised slogans against police for non-registration of the case against the attackers who were allegedly being patronised by UC 140 nazim and village lumberdar Basit who was said to be a cousin of a sitting MNA belonging to the ruling party.

They also demanded official protection for holding religious ceremonies in the village.

However, none of the junior police officers listened to them in the absence of the DIG who was said to be out of his office.

They also submitted an application with the DIG’s staff seeking registration of a case against the accused, Irshad, Kaka, Waqas, Abdul Jabbar, Hammad, Naeem, Abdul Ghafar, Tahir, Ikram, Rehman, Waseem, Nadeem, Faizur Rehman, Abdul Majeed, Jagoo, Mana along with 25 unidentified people.

The applicant, Faryad Sarosh, said the intruders besides injuring 10 people including two women, also ransacked the belongings of the church and used abusive language against the ceremony organisers.

The injured, including Nazir, Shehbaz, Shamoon and Imran had been brought to the Allied Hospital and admitted to the emergency ward. However, after a few hours of their admission doctors of the surgical ward reportedly discharged them.

Following their unexpected ‘expulsion’, the injured had to leave their beds and sit on the benches for hours hoping readmission to the hospital, but to no avail.

Farryad, a Christian boy, said the hospital staff handed them discharge slips saying the patients were quite healthy and they should vacate the beds for others.

Imran, a youth injured in the clash, said despite complaining of severe pain in his head wounds he was forcibly discharged from the hospital.

Emergency ward in charge Dr Yousaf Shah claimed the patients had to be discharged following arrival of some serious patients, denying allegations of use of political pressure for the sudden expulsion.

About 40 Christian families, residing in the area, have left for safe places following the clash.

A Christian woman, requesting anonymity, said the union council nazim and his gun-totting accomplices having access to power corridors had been patrolling the area. She apprehended that the `attackers’ being backed by influential people were hindering the registration of the case. —

Staff Correspondent