Islamabad: Pakistani Muslim religious scholars said that they stand united with all minority communities against hate and violence as they visited Peshawar church in a gesture of solidarity following the tragic killing of a priest.
Father William Siraj, 75, was killed while on his way home after Sunday mass in the city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special adviser on religious affairs and religious harmony, Tahir Ashrafi, has promised Pakistani Christians that the attackers would be soon apprehended and punished.
He visited the Saint John’s Church in Peshawar with a group of Muslim religious scholars to offer condolences to the family and friends of the slain priest on behalf of the Pakistani prime minister who has assured all possible cooperation into the attack.
“Pakistani ulemas, scholars religious leaders and Muslims stand side by side with their Christian community,” he said. “The whole nation shares the grief of the Christian community and we stand with the minorities living in Pakistan. We will not allow anyone to destroy the rights of the Pakistani minorities or target them,” he asserted.
Expressing grief over the incident, Ashrafi said that the enemies are “targeting Muslim and non-Muslim religious leaders to create chaos” and fuel religious, sectarian differences in the country. “We have to thwart these conspiracies by mutual harmony and unity with the same spirit we defeated extremism and terrorism.”
The priest was laid to rest on Monday and his memorial service was attended by more than 3,000 mourners. Police said they had widened the investigation and the manhunt for two unidentified assailants who shot and killed Father Siraj and wounded Reverend Patrick Naeem.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned the killing and demanded urgent steps for the protection of minorities particularly prompt investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of violence against religious minorities.
