On April 26, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. a Christian local Yousaf Masih informed Mr. Joseph Francis MBE National Director CLAAS about a dispute among Christians and Muslim at village Chak 3- 10/R Eassa Pur (Christian Village), District Khanewal. He also reported about 2 causalities and some injured Christians during this fuming dispute. Following the information on April 27, 2013 CLAAS team consisting on Mr. Asher Sarfraz Field Officer, Mr. Tahir Bashir Advocate and Legal Advisor and Ms. Huma Lucas Office Assistant reached the occurrence place to help Christians and to get the real facts behind this atrocious fight. The Village Eassa Pur The village Eassa Pur, Chak 31-10/R district Khanewal is populated with Christians who use to live here before the Indo-Pak partition. The Christian are landlords and do cultivation in their own fields and grow crops in all seasons. After 1980 Christians started selling out their properties to Muslims cast Pathan (Khan) and allowed them to live along with them in the said village. Later, Khans started a business of micro credit on heavy interests and began grabbing Christian properties while giving them loans on interests. With the passage of time Muslim Khans became the owners of their lands. Now there are few Christians who have lands and they work in the fields to grow crops, while Muslims wants to grab these land/properties too. Background of the incident: CLAAS team met the local residents, as they informed that on April 06, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. Christian boys namely Gulfam Masih ages 30, Gulshan Masih aged 30, and some Muslims Gulchi and Muhammad Zafar were sitting in sunshine on a Charpai (a bed used in the villages) in front of a Homeo Pathic clinic of Mr. Asif Kaleem (a Christian doctor). The weaves of the bed were in the wrong direction towards the Ka’bba in the Makkah. Muhammad Zafar started shouting and said to Christians Gulfam Masih and Gulshan Masih that Christian always use to lay weaves of beds in the wrong directions towards the Ka’bba. Meanwhile, Muhammad Zafar and other Muslim young’s started to abuse and beat Gulfam Masih and Gulshan Masih that Christians are insulting the Holly Qibla and the Ka’bba of Muslims. Gulshan Masih explained that the bed was already set down and they were just sitting on it. They also said that they do not know about the directions of Qibla and excused if they hurt the feelings but the Muslims threatened that they will set Christian houses and Churches on fire. Through a phone call Shafah Ullah informed his cousins Muhammad Yousaf Khan and Muhammad Iqbal Khan about the incident of insult of the Islam. Within seconds Muslim boys Madaad Khan, Muhammad Adreem Khan, Zafar Khan, Yousaf Khan, Iqbal Khan, Ajmal Khan, Ameen Ullah Khan and others gathered there and they beat Christian youth severely. Later the matter was solved when the Punchayat (Local committee of villagers) intervened and asked them for compromise, but Shafah Ullah remained threatened Christians for the dire consequences. When Christians noticed that Shafah Ullah has not good thinking for them and was planning to take revenge, they made a phone call to police (mobile police) at 15. At about 5:00 p.m. police approached and in the presence of police and punchayat, Madaad Khan, Muhammad Adreem Khan, Zafar Khan and others said excuse to Christians that they were wrong, and again a contract of compromise between both parties was written and signed on a stamp paper that if the Muslims again tried to harm Christians, a legal action would be taken against Madaad Khan, Muhammad Adreem Khan (brother of Madaad Khan) and Zafar Khan, but Shafah Ullah was still angry and did not change his attitude. Subsequently, Khans took grudge in their hearts and started to find ways to create dispute among Christians. On April 26, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. Naveed Ullah (Son of Adreem Khan) and Muhammad Yousaf Khan came to Asher Masih s/o Yaqoob Masih, aged 25 (runs his own general store) and started arguments that why his father did not use his thrasher machine for the cutting of wheat, while he asked him earlier. Asher Masih explained that they wanted to cut their wheat crops soon as they needed to make ready their field for the next harvesting and after the many requests for thrashing their wheat, there was not any reply from Yousaf Khan therefore they have to call someone else’s thrasher machine to thrash wheat. Muhammad Yousaf Khan gave slaps on the face of Asher Masih and both Naveed Ullah and Yousaf khan started to beat him brutally. When Asif Kaleem (Homeo Pathic Doctor) saw Muhammad Yousaf and Naveed Ullah beating Asher severely he rushed towards them to rescue him. The same day at 11:30 a.m. a mob of 50-60 Muslims armed with deadly weapons gathered in the village Chauk (a square of the village). Christian immediately informed the Station House Officer (SHO) of the concerned police station about the situation. Soon after Muslims attacked on Christian residents and started to beat them severely. They were throwing stones on Christian’s houses and Albert s/o Nathaniel got a severe injury on his forehead, it started bleeding. While Samuel s/o Yaqoob Masih got injuries on the back of his head. Meanwhile Muhammad Yousaf and Muhammad Iqbal open fire on the Christians. When Christians saw that Muslims wanted to kill them, they went on the roofs and started throwing stones on Muslims, but Kamran and Asher take out their guns and opened fires on Muslims to defend themselves and other Christian fellows. Then gunfire of Kamran and Asher hit Yousaf Khan and he fell down on the ground, Iqbal Khan also got a severe head injury. Muslims immediately took both to the Civil Hospital, Khatcha Khoo District Khanewal, but Mohammad Yousaf could not survive and died on the way while Iqbal Khan admitted in hospital. Registration of Case FIR: On April 26, 2013 Madaad Khan got registered a case FIR number 127/13, offence under section 302/324, 148/149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in the Katcha Kho police station, Khanewal against Albert s/o Nathaniel Masih, Kamran alias Kamu s/o Albert, Asher s/o Yaqoob, Samuel s/o Yaqoob and Asif Kaleem s/o Emmanuel Masih by name but police did not proceeded against armed Muslims who opened fire on Christians and attacked first. Albert Masih and Samuel Masih got arrested by the police on the spot while Kamran, Asher, Asif Kaleem and others were absconded. Muslims protested against the police that they will bury their dead only after the arrest of the nominated of the FIR and after burning the houses of Christians. It is also worth mentioned here that the Christian families from the nearby neighbor villages also ran away for their safety and took shelter at their relatives at different places as there was a threat to burn them as well. Police asked local Christians to vacant the houses It was a big pressure as police did not want to see the situation of Christians of Eassa Pur as the situation of Christians in Badami Bhagh Lahore. Therefore police requested Christians to save their lives and vacant the houses just for security. Heavy Police force was present at the spot and controlled the furious mob and saved the Christian’s lives and their belongings. Statements and views of the local residents CLAAS team met the local residents and asked their views and opinions over the issue and recorded the following! CLAAS team met with Ch. Asghar Fazal aged 45, Numberdar (head of the village local council) He informed that Christians of Eassa Pur are peaceful and spend their whole time in their fields and caring cattle’s, they do not have enough time to fight with Muslims, while Muslims treat them as slaves. He also said that Madaad Khan and his sons kept an eye on Christian’s property and wants to be powerful as feudal lords in the village and the basic reason of this dispute is land/property because Asher has 4- acres land (more than all others in the area). Asif S/o Yaqoob Masih (Brother of Asher Masih) Asif (the younger brother of Asher) informed the team that on April 22, 2013 they requested Naveed Ullah to trash their wheat but he ignored and asked them to wait for some days. On April 25, 2013 Asif’s father Yaqoob Masih requested some other to thrash the wheat. When Naveed Ullah Khan came to know he came to his older brother Asher’s general store and started to beat him severely and used insulting words for him. According to Asif, Madaad Khan and his sons have criminal records in the police stations and known as land grabbers and blackmailers, they wants to grab the property of Yaqoob Masih (his father) as he has a big piece of land than that all others live in the village. Gulfam Masih Gulfam s/o Emmanuel Masih informed the team that on April 06, 2013 Muslim Pathans had fight with him on the base on religion when they asked that he insulted the Ka’bba but with the interference of Punchayat and police a written agreement took place between them. He said that the Muslims were finding out any reason to fight with Christians as the Christian are land lords and Muslims wants to grab their properties. He added that his brother Asif Kaleem is a doctor and runs his own medical clinic and the Muslims were jealous of him. On the time of incident and dispute among Christian and Muslims neither he was present at the place nor he CLAAS team meeting Asgher and his family was not involved in the fight, but Madaad Khan nominated him also in the murder case FIR because of jealousy. Rimsha Bibi Rimsha w/o Akmal Masih is a house wife; she has five children, her husband worked in a steel factory Lahore. She said there is a matter of property behind this dreadful fight. Pathan wants to grab Christian’s property. She said that it is about three days that they fled from the houses when there was a threat by Muslims to burn down the Christian houses. Children were demanding to go back home but on the same time they were scared. She further said that her family do not have any concern with the said dispute but have to suffer. Visit to the Police Station CLAAS team went to the police station and met with Mr. Ghaznfar Ali SI (Sub-Inspector) to inquire the police report on the incident. SI informed team that a case FIR has been registered against 5 Christians but only two were arrested while others fled from the place. He also said that four DSP’s and 6 Nafries (groups of Police force) has been assigned for the security of Christian residents and their house. Meeting with DSP & DPO CLAAS team met Mr. Muhammad Waseem DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) and Mr. Ali Raza Kazmi DPO (District Police Officer) District Khanewal. They were present on duty in the village Chack no. 31 Eassa Pur. Approximately 15 police vans were on round while 7, 8 Nafri groups (Police force) were present in the village to look after the Christian belongings, while the residents were absconded. Mr. Waseem DSP told CLAAS team that it was a minor and personal dispute among the young Christians and Muslims, but they got involved the whole village. CLAAS urged police for the fair investigation of the incident and demanded justice for Christians who were nominated in the case FIR. DSP assured CLAAS that if the accused persons (the murderers) slanderer themselves before the police it would be helpful for their legal case in the court. He said that police believe that they opened fire for their own security and defense but they have murdered a person unintentionally. He also assured CLAAS team that police investigation should be conducted on merit. CLAAS Findings: Village chack no. 31-10/R district Khanewal The reason behind this bloodshed was Christian’s property which Muslim Pathans (Khans) wants to occupy. They have daily disputes among Christians on minor issues just to tease them and forced them to leave properties. CLAAS observed that after the incident of Badami Bagh there are many incidents of atrocious fight among Christian and Muslims in all over Punjab. After this fake incident of disgrace of the Prophet Mohammad the Muslims have grudge for Christians as they dislike them in the areas and want to kick them out. CLAAS team noted that there are mostly Pathan involved in attacks on Christian colonies like Shanti Nagar, Chauck no. 31-10/R District Khanewal and Badami Bagh Lahore. These Pathans (Khans) have links with the Talibans and militant groups in Mian Wali, Hazarra and Wazirstan and work for the religious groups as the religious groups and militants wants their hold on the areas and colonies. Prayer request We ask your prayers for Christians in Pakistan who are suffering and facing troubles in different parts mostly in Punjab by the hands of Muslim extremists especially the Christians at Chack no. 31/10-R for the safety of their lives and their properties. It is very hard to relocate a big number of families and they would have to live in danger at the same place. In District Khanewal the villages i-e Chack no. 35, Chack no. 33, and Shanti Nagar (which was attacked and burned down in 1997 by Muslim extremists) populated with mostly Christians and they have their own properties/lands and work in the fields for cultivation and the moment CLAAS feel unsecure for them as well. Reported By CLAAS Pakistan Dated: 30-04-2013