Rimsha Masih case and displaced families of Mehrabadi

Image

Islamabad: September 16, 2012. (Shamim Masih): Displaced families of the Meharabadi are living under stress and strain. Fear and uncertainty is seen on their faces after the release of Rimsha. These families want to know their fault, they said, we are Pakistani but we are treated as second class citizen. They demand a peace of land, where they can live peacefully, and can perform their religious services accordingly. These 250 families are leading miserable life. Background: The victim was a 14-year-old Christian girl, Rimsha, who is believed to suffer from Down’s syndrome. She was stopped by Muslim, Malik Ummad, 22 years old, who claimed the half-burned remnants of a book that allegedly included verses from the Quran in her carrier bag. He told the local imam, who called the police, and she was arrested. Bail is not normally granted in blasphemy cases, but on 8 September Rimsha was freed on bail, and a military helicopter lifted her out of the prison yard and into hiding. Displaced Families: During the preceding of the Rimsha case, the effected families were hiding around. They went into forest in G-9, where Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Farkhad Iqbal, granted permission to settle down there for few months but it couldn’t come true due to the interference of Police and local residents. After the release of Rimsha, I went in search of displaced families, after two days struggle, I reached to those families in Mehrabadi. During the search I went to the jungle in G-9, where I found a bulldozer, it had completely mashed the marks. There I found the Malik Mehbood, (President of local trade union of Taqwa Market, G-9/4), he said, that on 26th August, 400 people including man, women and children reached there to settle down in the forest, but with help of police and local residents, we beat them and keep at bay. On 28th August, they blocked the road in protest”. He told us that they might have settled in H-9. I moved towards H-9 with my team, (Azhar Jatoi, chief reporter Rohi TV, and Habib Sheikh Camera man), crossing the jungle, I saw tents there. Residents of H-9 told us that they people keep on changing their positions, some of them have settle down in different colonies and rest have gone back to Meharbadi. They provided us phone numbers; we contacted them and decided to reach there next day. Next day, we saw the fear and stress on their faces clearly. BOOTA MASIH, 48 years, father of 5 children said; when this incident happened he took his family and escaped in the midnight, until now the situation is not under control even we are back. SAJID MASIH, works in motor workshop, said; on the same night we ran for our life and stayed in H-9 tents for few days until the situation is calm. MANWAR MASIH, we are back in the town but are aware of the mentality of the people. They are feudal minded people and want to role over. Our children cannot go to school since the incident happened. IRSHAD BIBI, said that the situation was so severe and we ran for life even we couldn’t lock our doors properly and on return, our gold were missing. Although Rimsha is released but the situation is not normal, people are living under threats and fear. Their children can’t go to their school regularly. They feel unsecured leaving their families alone.

You May Also Like

Image

HRFP-TFD Organized Event on Human Rights Documentation, Fact-Finding & Advocacy for the Marginalized-II

Faisalabad: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), in partnership with the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), has initiated a project’s acti

Image

President Asif Zardari urged to protect minorities in Pakistan. Report by Khalid Shahzad

Islamabad: Asif Ali Zardari has traditionally greeted Sikh pilgrims, Hindus and other minorities on the occasion of Christmas, Holi and now Baisakh

Image

PEMRA issues show-cause notice to Geo News for broadcasting Indian content following Asha Bhosle’s death

Islamabad: (PPF) On April 12, Geo News received a show-cause notice from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for broadcasts



"Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" By Nazir S Bhatti

On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.

nazirbhattipcc@aol.com , pakistanchristianpost@yahoo.com