Pakistani Pastor Shot By Two Assailants (Worthy News Investigation)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – A Presbyterian church pastor was recovering from his injuries Friday after being shot in Pakistan’s Punjab province, church sources told Worthy News.
The suspects were likely Islamic gunmen amid growing extremism toward devoted Christians in the Muslim-majority nation, according to an assessment by Worthy News, which documented numerous attacks against the Christian minority.
“Pastor Barakat was rushed to Civil Hospital Gujranwala, where he underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullet, and a chest tube was inserted,” confirmed Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of aid group LEAD Ministries Pakistan.
Footage obtained from the hospital by Worthy News showed wounds on his arm and the pastor breathing through an oxygen mask.
“Despite the efforts of the medical team, his condition remains critical due to the significant blood loss caused by the gunshot wound. He is currently receiving treatment in the hospital,” Gill explained to Worthy News.
POLICE REPORT
A police report, or First Information Report (FIR) seen by Worthy News, confirmed that a criminal investigation had begun. The local Police Station Ghakhar Mandi said in the report that the accused, “acting in concert, allegedly attacked the victim with the intention of causing fatal injuries. Despite the severity of the attack, the victim survived, and the authorities are investigating the case. The accused will face joint liability for the crime under these legal provisions.”
Yet, on Friday, there were no reports of arrests. Pastor Imran Amanat, the leader of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, told Worthy News that he demands the immediate arrest of the perpetrators as “such violent acts against religious leaders must not go unpunished.”
He recalled that Pastor Barakat “devoted his life to serving the community, spreading peace, and promoting love. This violent attack is an attack on the values that bind our society together. We demand justice for Pastor Barakat and call on authorities to act swiftly and arrest those responsible.”
Gill called the attack “an attempt to harass and discourage the Christian community, as well as its leaders.”
He stressed that such acts of violence were “to intimidate and silence the voices of Christians who are working for peace, justice, and the well-being of all citizens.”
These attacks are not just against one individual, but against the Christian community as a whole,” he added. “We must stand united against these efforts to create fear and division. The authorities must act decisively to ensure the safety of religious leaders and the Christian community.”
BROADER CONCERNS
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of Christian leaders and other believers in the region. Christians told Worthy News they rallied “together in prayer for Pastor Barakat’s swift recovery and the safety of all believers in the area.”
In remarks shared with Worthy News, Reverend Saleem Gill, the District Superintendent of the area’s All Saints Church, says he “sympathies and assured the family of the continuous prayers and support from the wider Christian community.”
LEAD Ministries Pakistan urged all Christians to “continue praying for the victim’s family and to remain united in the face of this tragedy.”
It comes amid broader concerns about Pakistani Christians, who comprise nearly two percent of the country’s more than 250 million people, according to Christian researchers.
Pakistan ranks 8th on the annual World Watch List of 50 nations where advocacy group Open Doors claims Christians face the most persecution.
It says Christian believers in Pakistan are “disproportionately affected” by threats and violence partly due to Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws and Islamic extremism, killing and injuring numerous Christians throughout the years.
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