“The police pulled away our headscarves from heads and started hitting us with clubs and punches” these were statement of Christian women made before visiting team of LEAD, after news spread that police is harassing and torturing Christian women and men in Chack number 66, in sub district Pattoki of Kasur District in Punjab province of Pakistan to grab their agricultural land.
Ashiq Masih, Kushi Mashi and their family of 20 individuals inherited an agricultural land of 40 acres from their forfathers which values of to millions of rupees in Pakistan.
The influential Muslim of the area planned to grab that agricultural land of Christian family for which he used tactics of lucrative price tag and harassment but Ashiq Masih and Kushi Masih denied dealing on their forefathers land.
According to LEAD “There is another subtle instrument of oppression against Christians in Pakistan, land grabbing. It is based on rent, purchase or mortgage of large plots of land including agricultural plots of their forefathers, and in Pakistan this abuse is systematically used by a number of landowners and powerful businessmen”
The Muslim engaged area police to lodge fake cases against Christian landowner and bribe them on which about eight police officials led by in charge police officer of Choki Dina Nath Chak No 66, Tehsil Pattoki , District Kasur , Punjab, along with some armed associates of Muslims land grabbers, arrived at agricultural plot of Christians Ashiq Masih, Khushi Masih etc nearly 20 male members of families.
The police officials beaten badly to Christian women and torn their clothes. The Police after taking heavy sum of bribe from Muslims Influential and rich men of the area who want to grab the agricultural plot, registered criminal cases against the 20 families` members. First FIR No368/12 on dated 14 July 2012, Second FIR No 376/2012 on dated 16 July 2012 and third FIR No 377/12 on dated 16 July 2012.
The police with the connivance of Muslims land grabbers wanted to make harass to poor Christians by making them involve in such criminal cases.
LEAD, a human right and legal aid orgnization has observed that in the last few years Muslims have made several attempts to seize the land from the Christians, usually succeeding because Christians are a marginalized minority, while Muslims carry out illegal activities with impunity and official blessings.
The matter and false registration of cases against the Christian families has been referred to the DPO Kasur, who makes assured the team of LEAD that the matter should be dealt according to rule of law. The Christians were still in shock and under the fear of attack by Muslims land grabbers and the inhumane and illegal behavior of Police Official towards Christians.
LEAD is defending the rights of poor Christian and Our continual fight against violations of our religious freedom, rights - like this case.
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