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

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Taliban 'ready to unleash 3,000 suicide bombers in Pakistan'

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clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk In the last few weeks the Taliban's overall military commander for Afghanistan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is Mullah Omar's deputy, was captured in a joint intelligence raid in Karachi by Pakistani and American agents. The threat was issued after one of its leaders claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb which killed 13 people outside an interrogation centre in Lahore where militant suspects are questioned. Eight officials from the Federal Investigation Agency were those killed when the bomber detonated a Toyota Carolla packed with 1300 pounds of explosives between the office and a local religious school. "We have around 3,000 more suicide bombers. We'll target all government places, buildings and offices," he said in a call to a news agency. More than 3,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Pakistan last year as suicide bombers and 'fedayeen' commandos struck in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Peshawar.

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Pakistan Christians Protest Release “Murderer” Of Christian Servant

clipped from www.worthynews.com Christians have demanded justice for family of murdered Christian domestic servant. Xavier P. Williams for BosNewsLife LAHORE, PAKISTAN (Worthy News)-- Christians protested Monday, February 21, in Pakistan's Punjab provinceagainst the release on bail of the alleged murderer of a 12-year-old Christian domestic servant, whose casehas come to symbolize mounting tensions between Muslims and Christians here. Demonstrators gathered in Youhanabad, a poor Christian settlement on the fringes of the provincialcapital Lahore, demanding justice for the family of Shazia Masih, who died last month. The girl was allegedly mentally and physically abused in the home of Muslim lawyer Chaudhry Mohammad Naeem,in Lahore, where she had worked for the last eight months to support her poor parents. She was taken to hospital for treatment "but did not recover and passed away on January 22," said theCentre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), which represents Masih's family in court.

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