Church Bombed in Pakistan, 2 Christians Wounded
MARDAN, Pakistan (Worthy News)– A church in northwestern Pakistan was bombed that injured two Christians, one of them seriously on September 12.
A bomb exploded between 8 and 9 PM near the entrance at St. Paul Lutheran Church in the city of Mardan. The church is located in the downtown area of the city. According to local officials if the bomb exploded during the day, there would have been many victims.
The building belongs to the “Church of Pakistan”, a union of four Protestant Christian denominations: Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, and Presbyterian.
Police have arrested several suspects.
In the city of Mardan, 99.51% of the people are Sunni Muslim with Christians making up 0.14% of the population.
ACT OF INTIMIDATION
“It is an act of intimidation toward Christians and their activities. Panic has spread in the community,” local Christians said.
“This is just another act of terrorist violence by Taliban groups who wish to dictate and assert their power in this province,” Ghulam Dastagir, coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told the Pakistani News Agency Fides.
“They continue attacks on religious minorities such as Ahmadis, Sikh, and Christians as well as against Shiite Muslims. The local government of the Province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa seems unable to provide protection and security,” he added.
“Christians in Pakistan are the victims in these attacks. We should mention that those who organize them are only small groups of extremists working against peace and harmony. In this difficult moment for the country, we are seeing many examples of solidarity, friendship, and mutual aid, which give us hope,” Farruk Marwin Parvez, Regional Manager of the Christian NGO Church World Service, told Fides.