HYDERABAD, June 3: The bishop of the Hyderabad diocese of the Church of Pakistan, Reverend Rafiq Masih, on Sunday alleged that the builder mafia had occupied a church property in Sukkur in collusion with former bishop of Hyderabad Bashir Jeewan and his children, Naureen Mirza and John Jeewan.

He told a press conference at the press club that being bishop of Hyderabad diocese he was the attorney of all the churches and their properties located in the interior of Sindh and was supposed to protect them.

He said that Hyderabad diocese was struggling to get back possession of a mission bungalow in Sukkur from Mrs. Naureen Mirza and John Jeevan. He accused them of occupying the bungalow, spread over a large area, through a fake attorney and then selling it at a throwaway price to builders’ mafia who were now demolishing this heritage.

He said that they had complained to the provincial and federal governments but nothing had so far been done. The incident had caused a sense of insecurity among Christians in Sukkur and other parts of the province, he said.

The bungalow was a trust property and it could not be disposed of in this manner, he stressed.

He had also met with provincial police officer (PPO) but no one seemed concerned about their problem, he added.

To a question, the bishop said that the matter was in the civil court of Sukkur where they were trying to prove that he was the real and actual attorney of the property.

If the problem remained unresolved then they would have no other option but to take to streets, he warned.

He claimed that the former bishop Basheer Jeewan and his children had earlier occupied St. Xavier School in Sukkur but the church managed to get back its possession in a lawful manner and now the school was working under the administration of Hyderabad diocese.