KARACHI: December 2, 2011. (PCP) A serious situation has erupted in Karachi Diocese, Church of Pakistan where the officiating bishop Sadiq Daniel has publicly revealed in a meeting held on October 11 and 12 at Holy Trinity Cathedral that he would be building shops in and around Saint Andrews Church. The fight has erupted over the land around Saint Andrews Church, whose prime real estate is located in Saddar, the commercial and economic hub of Karachi City. Members of the Church claims that Bishop wants to construct shops on the open land attached to the Church and thus they are vigorously protesting against the commercialization. The Church was built in 1868 by a Scottish Mission. It merged with the Church of Pakistan in 1970 when Protestant Churches across the country united. Four denominations came together: Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterian (Scottish) from four Dioceses. The plot, measuring 13,723 square yards, is located opposite Jehangir Park (Regal Chowk) and thus there is ample space around the Church for anyone to develop, while in the past several attempts have been made by various individuals, including the former Bishop namely Arnie Rudwin to commercialize the open land attached to the Church. The President of Saint Andrews Church Youth Fellowship, Henry Kamran, its General Secretary Junaid Ian along with others met MPA Saleem Khurshid Khokhar. The MPA is the Chairman of the Sindh Assembly’s Standing Committee on Minorities Affairs. They said, according to a Press Release from the MPA that bishop wants to take over the land. The open land around the Church had been regularly used for the Annual Karachi Convention where prayer services were conducted, but for the last few years it was discontinued. They said the bishop did this deliberately so that he could work towards commercializing the land. This claim was backed by Alberdeen, the Secretary of the Church, who told that the community was sure that the bishop deliberately discontinued the annual prayer convention to show that the land was not being used. However, Sadiq Daniel did not deny his plans for development on the land. But he claimed that MPA Saleem Khokhar (who has been a close ally of Sadiq in the recent past) and his supporters were scheming to take control of the land and later sell it off. “If I take the land, whatever money is made will go to the Council and will thus be used for the community only,” Sadiq Daniel told. “But if Saleem Khokher gets control he will sell it and divide the money amongst his team members.” He alleged that the MPA has contacts in the government and could forge documents to show that the property is independent. Bishop further argues that he has the authority over the land and that he is doing nothing illegal by developing it. It is pertinent to note that in a case pertaining to the legitimacy and authority of said Bishop Sadiq Daniel, the competent Court of Civil Jurisdiction at Quetta after adducing evidence vide Judgment dated 30-06-2010 has declared Sadiq Daniel as illegal and invalid, while a group comprising senior members of Saint Andrews Church have approached Bishop Dr. Ijaz Inayat Masih (National Coordinator, Save Church Property Movement) to help them save their property, who are expected to approach the Court of Law to get an order that the land under reference cannot be used for any other purpose except for the Church and the same be saved from the two groups of invalid bishop and the MPA Saleem Khokher.