PESHAWAR/LANDI KOTAL: Members of various organisations of minority communities on Sunday demonstrated outside the Peshawar Press Club here against increasing incidents of violence against members of minorities and demanded of the government to arrest the culprits involved in the heinous crimes.

The All Minority Alliance, Peshawar chapter organised the protest, where the participants asked the government to take steps aimed at creating religious harmony in the country.

The participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for protection to the minorities against violent attacks. The protesters were also shouting slogans against the government’s apathy to protect lives of the members of the religious minorities.

The protesters said that killing of minority people was a conspiracy to fan religious riots and that it was government’s duty to foil such intrigues.

Speaking to the protesters, Hindu community leader Haroon Sarb Diyal said that the government was not serious in taking effective steps for protection of the non-Muslims, as it had not taken into account several suggestions given to it from time to time.

Sajid Yaqoob Sahotra, a leader of the United Christian Movement, said that the killing of a Christian couple in Kasur strengthened the fear that minorities were not secure in Pakistan. He added that several Sikh community people were killed in Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the responsible people had yet to be arrested.

He said that the Christian community would start protest demonstrations to raise voice against the violence.

Meanwhile, Christians living in Landi Kotal on Sunday held a protest demonstration at the Hospital Chowk against the burning of the Christian couple.

Led by Arshad Masih, chairman All-Fata Christian Community, the demonstrating Christians were holding placards inscribed with slogans against the alleged killers of the Christian couple and the Punjab government. Speaking on the occasion, Arshad Masih demanded an impartial inquiry into the brutal killing of the couple and exemplary punishment for those involved in the heinous crime.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2014