06/22/2021 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – Last month, a church in Pakistan’s Punjab Province was attacked by a group of armed men. The incident left several Christians injured, including the church’s watchman who was reportedly seriously injured by the attackers.
On May 25, five armed Muslim men attacked Harvest Church located in Village 81-82/10R of the Khanewal District of Punjab. The assailants arrived at the church around 6 p.m., banging on the church’s main gate. Nadeem Masih, the church’s watchman, opened the gate to see who was there and the five men forced their way into the church compound.
The armed men then fired several warning shots into the air and trashed Nadeem. They also harassed several other Christian man and women who were at the church for evening prayers.
In addition to Nadeem, Binyameen Masih and Rafaqat Masih were also inured by the assailants. All three were taken to the civil hospital in Khanewal for medical treatment.
The attackers also partially damaged the church’s main gate, several windows, and some pieces of furniture. Two motorbikes, owned by members of the church, were also damaged.
The Christians of Harvest Church reported the incident to local police and a First Information Report (FIR 191/21) was registered at the Sadar Khanewal Police Station. In the FIR, several of the armed men were identified, including Sabir Butt, Muhammad Faisal, and Aqib Javed. The two other assailants were unknown to the Harvest Church community.
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