LAHORE: PML-Q senior central leader and former deputy prime minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said despite “very clear information” provided to the Punjab government by intelligence agencies that terrorists had entered the province and would target churches, additional security was not provided to them.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, Pervaiz Elahi said minorities, particularly Christians, suffered from insecurity during the PML-N’s tenure lasting more than seven years. “Gruesome incidents against Christians occurred in Gojra and Joseph Colony in the tenure of Shahbaz Sharif,” he said, adding even the compensation cheques of some of the affected persons were bounced, showing the seriousness of the PML-N government in compensating them.

According to the World Vision in Progress, he said14,000 Christians had applied for shelter in Europe from 2009 to 2014.

“Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has completely failed to provide protection to the life and property of minorities. Inefficient rulers have made police inefficient as the chief minister himself uses police first and then blames them (police) for his wrongdoings,” he said.

Pervaiz further said two major incidents of bloodshed and violence in Lahore -- Model Town and Ferozepur Road – took place near the residence of the chief minister and he watched it happened like a “spectator”.

“The rulers are only protecting their own life and property. All those who died in Youhanabad were Pakistanis and the government was responsible for their protection,” he said.

Mr Elahi said the services of Christians for Pakistan were unforgettable, and the community had produced some able and loyal sons like Justice Cornelius, Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry and Speaker SP Singha.

He added the rulers should give them due respect so that the Christians did not have to seek refuge abroad.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2015

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