Pakistan’s Punjab Bans Christian Protests Citing “Terrorism Threats”

clipped from www.bosnewslife.com Citing "terrorism threats", the government of Pakistan's Punjab province banned protests Monday,  March 22, against the "refusal" by police to detain those who burned a Christian man for not converting to Islam, while raping his wife. It wasn't clear who had made the threats. Officials of Pakistan's Christian minority expressed concerns however about attacks by Islamic extremists, including fighters linked to al-Qaida and other militant groups. Monday's demonstrations were to be organized in the cities of Lahore and Rawilpindi, where police and religious leaders allegedly attacked the Christian couple Friday, March 19. Christian rights groups said they have given "24 hours to the Punjab police to arrest the culprits" and "to compensate the three small children" who were apparently forced to watch the rape of their mother and the burning of their father. The officers are also suspected of having raped his wife, 33-year-old Martha Masih 38-year-old Arshed Masih may not survive

Related articles by Zemanta

• 43 dead as blasts shake Lahore (guardian.co.uk)
• 11 dead in Pakistan bombing (guardian.co.uk)
• Suicide bombing kills 11 people in eastern Pakistan (ctv.ca)
• Kidnapped five-year-old Sahil Saeed back in UK (guardian.co.uk)
• Suicide Bomber Kills 13 at Checkpoint in Pakistan (nytimes.com)
• Three Cups of Tea in Perspective, Mehreen Bokhari, juta, lathi and thappar. (teabreak.pk)
• At least 20 killed in Pakistan bombing (cnn.com)
• Blast Hits Police Building in Pakistan, 11 Dead (abcnews.go.com)
• Frustrated Strivers in Pakistan Turn to Jihad (nytimes.com)