Sialkot, Pakistan: June 29, 2012. (PCP) CLAAS was contacted on 24 May for help regarding allegations of blasphemy against a pastor in Sialkot District. Pastor Joshua John leads a congregation belonging to the independent Church of God in Chack Maroor village. He was invited by Christians in the village of Data Jhatt to preach a sermon at their prayer service. During the service, he used Koranic verses to compare the teachings of the Koran and the Bible on Jesus Christ. Local Muslim clerics were angered by his sermon and disrupted the prayer meeting, abusing the pastor and the Christians, and threatening to kill all Christians in the area. They accused Pastor Joshua of blasphemy and said they were going to register a First Information Report. A crowd of Muslims from the surrounding area gathered at the church. Although the pastor escaped from the church, he was later arrested by the police and was held in the police station in Qila Kalar Wala along with his son and church elder Saleem Masih. Joseph Hakim Din, a local Muslim leader, spoke with police and asked them not to register a First Information Report. In a meeting with police, Mr Francis also pleaded with them to refrain from registering a FIR against Pastor Joshua and to release him as soon as possible. Mr Francis expressed his concern to the police about Pastor Joshua’s safety and urged a fair investigation into the allegations of blasphemy against him. The police assured Mr Francis that they also wanted to help Pastor Joshua, although they admitted that there was the threat of local Muslims attacking the police station if they did not register a FIR. Despite the huge pressure on the police, they released Pastor Joshua on 25 May but only after making him and Elder Saleem Masih sign a document of reconciliation apologizing for quoting the Koran. Upon his release, Pastor Joshua was taken to a safe place provided for by Bishop Paulus and CLAAS.