LAHORE: Attacks on the All Saints Church Peshawar in September 2013 had left the Christian community shocked and shattered. It was the deadliest attack that the Christian community had ever experienced in the history of Pakistan, which left 127 people dead and hundreds injured.

Commemorating the first anniversary of the horrific suicide bombings at the All Saints Church, Peshawar, Michelle Chaudhry, the president of the Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation (CICF), expressing solidarity with the victims stated: “Today we hold in our hearts the victims of those who have lost their lives and those whose lives will never be the same again; one year later the pain and agony lingers on; souls have been scarred for life”

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“They did not just attack Christians in Peshawar, but also attacked humanity. They attacked the principles of Islam and they attacked Jinnah’s Pakistan. We at the CICF will continue our struggle for a just and equitable Pakistan as envisioned by the founder of Pakistan where the minority is as much visible as the majority,” Mr Chaudhry stated.

The CICF demands that the authorities ensure safety and protection of every Pakistani regardless of faith, caste or gender as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan.

The CICF, an independent, non-government, non-profit organisation, is dedicated to the eradication of injustice in society by advocating on behalf of the under-privileged, under-represented and marginalised groups within the country.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd , 2014