Lahore, Pakistan: April 11, 2009. (Jawad Mazhar reports PCP) A 43-year-old Christian in Lahore has received threats from Muslim fanatics after publishing pro-democracy letters in a national daily, Aaj Kal, PCP learned from a Christian rights and advocacy organization ‘Center for legal aid assistance & settlement’ (CLAAS), Lahore. George Masih, who lives with his wife Suneeta Bibi and his three young children at Gulistan Colony town at Lahore, wrote a number of columns and articles for the Aaj Kal, a Lahore-based daily. His first column, “Qaum Ab Jaag Jaye” (“The Nation should wake-up now”), allegedly aroused the envy of Muslims in the area after it was published and circulated on August 11th, 2008. Unaware of the ill-sentiments, George wrote two more columns which were published on September 11th, 2008, the “Jamhuriat Ka Suraj” (“The Sunrise of Democracy”) and “Jamhuriat Ki Fattah” (The Triumph of Democracy”). A third column was published on October 16, entitled “Main Pakistan Hoon” (“I am Pakistan”). On October 28th 2008, George received the first threatening letter from the Islamic Tanzeem Organization, threatening him of dire consequences for him and his family, if he did not convert to Islam. The letter read: “George it would be better if you embraced Islam as soon as possible. Your name is the same as the ex-president of the USA, George Bush. We hate that stupid American. You should change your name and embrace Islam, or else you will suffer along with your family.” George ignored the threats for a while but later submitted an application with the letters to the police in Lahore on November 24th, 2008. His application was referred to the Assistant Superintendent (ASP) who ordered its registration and recommended it to the senior house officer (SHO) of the Mustafabad police station, Naseeb Khan. Khan, however, failed to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the suspects and even called George’s complaint into question. On December 12th 2008, George received another letter in which the fanatics again allegedly urged him to embrace Islam; although this time they directly threatened to kill him and his family. George deemed the threat real enough to send his wife and children to stay with relatives in Gujranwala. Following the laxity and lack of police action, George sought the intervention of the Session’s Court Lahore, which ordered on February 11th, 2009, to local police to register the case against the suspects. The police are yet to have taken action against the accused and George has turned to CLAAS for legal assistance in taking his case further. Joseph Francis condemned the threatening letters and urged law enforcement agencies to resolve the problem and provide sufficient protection to the Christian Journalist and his family.