GUJAR KHAN: The Christian community performed religious services on Sunday but complained that the local police station did not provide them with proper guards around the premises in the aftermath of gutting of the UP Junior Church.

The UP Junior Church building was closed after the fire incident, and worshippers performed their Sunday prayers in a hall in the basement of a private hotel.

The self-appointed guard, Sarfraz, said he was guarding the church as a large number of Christian women, children and community members were inside.

Jawaid Masih, when contacted, told Dawn that during the ‘Good Friday’ prayers, the owner of the plaza, a local trader, had objected to the extension of a fabric partition on the right of way of his business place. The local trader, when contacted, said he did not object to the partial closure of the way to his plaza, but the total blockade of the way was a grave inconvenience.

He said that the obvious and preliminary investigations were giving clues towards short circuiting of electricity as the cause of the fire in the small hall of the church.

The trader (alleged suspect) also said that forensic reports of the incident would clarify everything.

SSP Operations Rawalpindi Sohail Asghar and the minority Christian MPA Sonia Asher also visited Gujar Khan on Saturday night, met the Christian community and assured them all-out cooperation to address their grievances.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2024