PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN TORTURED TO DEATH BY POLICE; 40 CHRISTIAN PROTESTORS ARRESTED
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Nasir Masih, a young Christian man, died in prison on August 19 -- four days after being beaten and tortured by officers in two different police stations. When local Christians sought to have the police brutality investigated, 40 of the protesting Christians were arrested.
According to Barnabas Fund, Nasir Masih, son of a municipal sanitary worker from Sheikhupura, near Lahore, Punjab Province, went to join in the celebrations for Pakistan's Independence Day on 15th August. He got into a fight with local Muslims who beat him severely and then had him arrested on false charges of theft.
At Police Station B-Division, Sheikhupura District, Nasir was beaten again and then handed over to Saddar Police Station, also in Sheikhupura District. Here he was tortured to the point where he lost consciousness. The following morning, 16th August, the police sent Nasir to the area magistrate who did not see him but sent him straight to District Jail Sheikhupura. Nasir was given no treatment for his injuries and died in prison on 19th August. There were 21 injury marks visible on his body, but four doctors who examined it said they could not determine the cause of death.
CHRISTIAN PROTESTS
When Nasir's family heard of his death they went to the prison to collect his body, accompanied by a crowd of local people. The family and others present refused to accept the body unless the Superintendent of the prison would accept responsibility for Nasir's death. The Superintendent refused to accept responsibility and blamed the police; the police in turn blamed the local Muslims who had originally been fighting with Nasir.
Despite the refusal of all officials to accept responsibility for Nasir's death, his family eventually received the body. But a crowd of hundreds of Christians began to shout protests and blocked the traffic. Eventually at 10.00 p.m. that night the police Deputy Inspector General agreed to register a case against the police.
The police registered cases against 40 of the protestors (mainly sanitary workers), who were arrested at their work places on 21st August, the day after the protest. They have since been released, but the case against them is still pending.
INJUSTICE FOR CHRISTIANS
When the Christian crowd were calling for the police to be held responsible for the death of Nasir Masih, they were opposed by some other local people. One shouted, "You Chuhras, you are just wasting your time, you cannot succeed in getting justice."
Chuhras occupy the lowest place of the caste system which still remains strong in the Punjab, and many Christians are descendants of converted Chuhras. This is one of the reasons why Christians are generally despised in Pakistan and find it hard to get justice from the police and judiciary.
RELATED NEWS ITEMS
Stories of similar incidents:
[a] - http://www.barnabasfund.org/News/Archive/Pakistan/Pakistan-20040514.htm
[b] - http://www.barnabasfund.org/News/Archive/Pakistan/Pakistan-20040610.htm
Further details, quotes and photos on this and other stories may be available for news editors on request from Barnabas Fund.
Barnabas Fund works to support Christian communities mainly, but not exclusively, in the Islamic world where they are facing poverty and persecution.
Barnabas Fund, The Old Rectory, River Street, PEWSEY, Wiltshire, SN9 5DB, UK.
Tel: +44(0)1672 564938, Fax: +44(0)1672 565030, E-mail: info@barnabasfund.org
Web: www.barnabasfund.org
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