{"id":6957,"date":"2023-09-23T09:29:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T09:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/christian-human-rights-activists-briefly-detained-tortured-by-police-in-faisalabad\/"},"modified":"2023-09-23T09:29:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T09:29:05","slug":"christian-human-rights-activists-briefly-detained-tortured-by-police-in-faisalabad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/christian-human-rights-activists-briefly-detained-tortured-by-police-in-faisalabad\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian human rights activists \u2018briefly detained, tortured\u2019 by police in Faisalabad"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Two human rights activists visiting Faisalabad from Karachi were allegedly briefly detained and tortured by police, it emerged on Saturday, following which police accused the duo of misbehaviour in its rebuttal.<\/p>\n

The incident was raised by lawyer and rights activist Jibran Nasir on Friday in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n

In a post about what he dubbed \u201cextremely alarming and condemnable action by Punjab police\u201d, Nasir said two prominent human rights activists from Karachi, Pastor Ghazala Shafique and Luke Victor, were visiting Faisalabad to help Reverend Father Eleazar Sidhu.<\/p>\n

Christian priest Sidhu was shot at and injured<\/a> on September 3, according to the first information report (FIR) of the incident available with Dawn.com<\/em>. The FIR stated that Sidhu \u2014 who served at Myong-Sang Naserth church in Jaranwala tehsil \u2014 was returning home from the church in the evening when an unidentified bearded man shot and injured him.<\/p>\n

The FIR also mentioned that he was leading prayers in the church on August 28 when someone wrote objectionable religious slogans against him on the outer wall of the church, which were whitewashed by police on his complaint.<\/p>\n

A few days prior to the alleged incident, when he went to drop his son off at school, a few bearded people threatened him, saying, \u201cAs our written slogans have been deleted from the wall of the church, soon you will also be deleted,\u201d the FIR said.<\/p>\n

According to Nasir\u2019s posts on social media, Sidhu was arrested, \u201cunlawfully kept captive by local police and subjected [to] torture, being forced to state that the deadly attack on him after the Jaranwala incident<\/a> was self-inflicted\u201d.<\/p>\n

He alleged that Sidhu was forced into giving a statement that he \u201cshot himself so real culprits could remain safe\u201d.<\/p>\n

In a subsequent post, he said Pastor Ghazala Shafique had been released but alleged that her phone was withheld by police.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe contacted her family from someone else\u2019s phone,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cShe revealed that the police put a black cloth on Luke Victor\u2019s face and took him and Pastor Vicky (Sidhu) away beating them both.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a third post, Nasir alleged that police personnel at Saddar police station in Faisalabad had \u201cbadly beaten up Luke Victor\u201d.<\/p>\n

Nasir went on to say: \u201cThe interim Punjab chief minister, the interim prime minister, and the incumbent chief justice of Pakistan all visited Jaranwala to help victims. Luke did the same, but he wasn\u2019t powerful and influential so Punjab police got to torture him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPastor Ghazala is afraid that if only Luke is allowed to leave then police might torture and harm Pastor Vicky further.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jaranwala incident<\/a> referenced here took place on August 16, during which a violent mob of hundreds ransacked and torched nearly two dozen churches and attacked the residences of members of the Christian community and the office of the local assistant commissioner in the area. As per police and local sources, the violence erupted after some locals alleged that several desecrated pages of the Holy Quran were found near a house at Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala, where two Christian brothers resided.<\/p>\n

In yet another post, Nasir shared a video of Victor saying: \u201cVideo made of Luke Victor at Sadr Thana Faisalabad after his release. He had bruises all over his body. His crime is to help find the truth about Pastor Eliezer alias Vicky\u2019s case who got shot a few days after the Jaranwala incident.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor can be seen with welts on his neck and face.<\/p>\n

Nasir urged interim Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi to launch an inquiry into the matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt only highlights how vulnerable the Christian community is and how they are completely at the mercy of the state authorities. While Luke and Pastor Ghazala have been released Pastor Vicky has been reportedly arrested by transposing him from complainant to accused in the very FIR Pastor Victor got registered against the attack on him,\u201d he wrote on X.<\/p>\n

In the early hours of Saturday (today), Nasir shared a video statement by Pastor Ghazala Shafique on X, wherein she said the clip was recorded in Saddar police station.<\/p>\n

Shafique said Sidhu had been detained and that he and Victor were allegedly tortured by police. She further claimed that her and Victor\u2019s phones, too, had been taken from them.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur only demand is that if there\u2019s any case against him (Sidhu), tell us about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The timing of the video\u2019s recording is not clear.<\/p>\n

When Faisalabad City Police Officer Usman Akram Gondal was asked about Nasir\u2019s allegations, he said: \u201cIt is absolutely wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

The official claimed that Sidhu had shot himself during the September 3 incident, saying that an FIR had been filed against him. \u201cHe has submitted a confessional statement and is on remand,\u201d CPO Gondal told Dawn.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As for Shafique and Victor, he said: \u201cThe two reached there and were trying to get him (Sidhu) out of there. They misbehaved with [police] and threatened the SHO (station house officer). The police had no choice but to stop them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The police\u2019s claim was reiterated in Sidhu\u2019s termination letter issued by the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan (PCP) on September 13.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis letter is to inform that as of September 13, 2023, you, Mr Eleazar Sidhu s\/o Bashir Masih Sidhu \u2026 are no longer employed by the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan [henceforth referred to as PCP]. This decision is because of the facts that came to light during your conversation with multiple colleagues, friends, and family members regarding the incident of alleged shooting on your right arm dated September 3, 2023, in which you voluntarily confessed that this was a self-inflicted injury and you admitted to planning this whole act without any fear, duress or pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we are refraining from jumping to any conclusions since the matter is
\nsub-judice, we reserve every right to sever your employment and to cut off any professional ties until the matter comes to its logical conclusion,\u201d the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com<\/em>, read.<\/p>\n

A press statement issued by the PCP on the same day, cited the findings of Sidhu\u2019s first medical report and said: \u201cIt was revealed that the injury was likely self-inflicted based on the angle\/trajectory of the bullet, bare minimum damage to skin, injury etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PCP also raised multiple questions regarding the September 3 incident based on Sidhu\u2019s \u201ccontradictory statements\u201d.<\/p>\n

The PCP called on the \u201chighest authorities\u201d, including all the investigative agencies, to bring all the facts pertaining to the matter to light.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny person can lie or make up stories. However, facts and science do not lie. We demand that one black sheep should not spoil the reputation of the whole flock. Not every pastor or Christian desires to apply for asylum and leave his\/her country. We demand that an open, fair and independent investigation be carried out and if Mr Sidhu, as per his initial confession, circumstantial evidence, witness corroboration, and contradictory statements regarding the whole incident is found guilty, he should be meted an exemplary punishment,\u201d the PCP press statement said.<\/p>\n

It further said the \u201corganisation or the leadership cannot and must not be held responsible for any \u2018lone wolf\u2019 or rogue actions of an employee that were not within the scope of his employment nor in furtherance of his job description\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a video of Sidhu has surfaced, which according to details collected by Dawn.com<\/em>, was recorded two days ago \u2014 after he was allegedly forced into giving his confessional statement.<\/p>\n

In the video, a weeping Sidhu with a sling on his right arm, is seen claiming four of his associates, including a 15-year-old boy, had been detained by police and were being persuaded into giving statements that his injury was self-inflicted.<\/p>\n

He denies shooting himself and writing objectionable religious slogans on the church\u2019s wall. Sidhu further claims that he was tortured by police and three police personnel have been staying inside his house all day long.<\/p>\n

Sidhu also alleged that he was not provided food and water in police custody.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two human rights activists visiting Faisalabad from Karachi were allegedly briefly detained and tortured by police, it emerged on Saturday, following which police accused the duo of misbehaviour in its rebuttal. The incident was raised by lawyer and rights activist Jibran Nasir on Friday in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter. In a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2023\/09\/231357432902ea4.jpg?r=135915","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}