The Most Revd & Rt. Honorable Dr. Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury Lambeth Palace, London United Kingdom Respected Sir, The Karachi Diocese, Church of Pakistan is passing through a very difficult time because of the Episcopal crisis in the Diocese. The legally elected and consecrated Bishop of Karachi Diocese the Rt. Rev. Ejaz Inayat Masih, who was elected by the united and undisputed Synod in 1997 have been purposely restrained by a group of wrongdoers in the Church of Pakistan who have joined hands with the Property mafia to usurp the resources of the Church of Pakistan and by initiating false cases against the legally elected Bishop they have forcefully taken everything in their control. I am a Priest working with the Diocese of Karachi. Thus I feel it is my duty to bring the following facts and a brief of the illegally officiating group of Rev. Sadiq Daniel so that these crises may be resolved through the intervention of your good office. That the disputes started in 1994 when the then Bishop of Karachi Diocesan Council (The Rt. Rev. Arnie Rudwin) retired and to fill the vacant seat of Bishop of Karachi Diocese, elections were held in May 1995, but the same was blocked for the reason that no candidate could attain required majority of votes. Upon which, according to Rule 14(d) of the Rules for the Election and Appointment of Bishops of the Church of Pakistan after an interval of (90) ninety days, the procedure for holding fresh elections was announced by the then Synod of the Church of Pakistan. The above mentioned fresh elections were held in October 1997 at Karachi in which the main candidates were Rev. Sadiq Daniel and Bishop Ejaz Inayat Masih who was declared elected as Bishop of Karachi getting 13 out of 19 votes, where as Rev. Sadiq Daniel attained only 4 out of 19 votes. The results of the same were accepted by all including Rev. Sadiq Daniel who even passed a vote of confidence in the favor of Bishop Ejaz Inayat in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Karachi Diocesan Council dated 10-10-1997. Further all the Bishops of the Church of Pakistan vide Bishop’s Council meeting dated 01-11-97 accepted the results of the said elections and in spite of the Court case against Bishop Ejaz Inayat upheld the same elected and requested the members of the Karachi Diocese to support the Bishop elect. That as a counter blast of his defeat Rev. Sadiq Daniel through some (5) five members of Karachi Diocesan Council, who were in collision with him, challenged the above-said elections held in October 1997 vides Suit no. 1454/1997 in the Honorable Sindh High Court on the basis of false affidavits. Vide order dated 15-02-1999 the Honorable Sindh High Court in Suit no. 1454/97 restrained the Diocesan Council held in 1997 from working and managing the affairs of Karachi Diocesan Council and restored the Diocesan Council working in 1993, to handle the day to day affairs of Karachi Diocese. That later in the year 2002 another order was passed in the same Suit on 13-02-2002 by the Honorable Sindh High Court for holding fresh elections for the seat of Bishop of Karachi Diocesan Council according to the Constitution and Bye-Laws of the Karachi Diocesan Council and the Church of Pakistan. That the orders dated 13-02-2002 were misused by the Rev. Sadiq Daniel and his group and they claimed to have held the election on their own whim without the laid down procedure of the SYNOD of the Church of Pakistan, as was ordered by the Honorable High Court. The same election was challenged in the Honorable High Court of Sindh vide Suit no. 379/2002, which is still pending adjudication. On the other hand Honorable Sindh High Court was pleased to initiate Contempt of Court proceedings against Rev. Sadiq Daniel, Bishop Alexander John Malik, Bishop Samuel Azraiah and all those who participate in the so-called unlawful and unconstitutional election held on 14-02-2002 for holding the elections unconstitutionally and against the spirit of the order dated 13-02-2002 on C.M.A. 1430/2002 in Suit no. 1454/97. At the same time an Appeal was also filed against the order dated 13-02-2002 and the same is still pending before the Honorable High Court of Sindh. Later on 09-09-2002 a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Karachi Diocesan Council was held by Rev. Sadiq Daniel and his associates under the chairmanship of Rev. Sadiq Daniel, where they resolved to hold an Ordinary Session of the Karachi Diocesan Council on the 11th and 12th of October 2002 under the chairmanship of Rev. Sadiq Daniel, notices of the said meeting were issued by one Mr. Robert Josiah. That the meeting of Executive Committee held on 09-09-2002 was totally illegal and unconstitutional as a disputed bishop (Rev. Sadiq Daniel) who is not recognized as a Bishop by the Synod, Church of Pakistan (the Supreme Supervisory and Legislative Body of the Church of Pakistan) chaired the said meeting. Another reality is that the so-called Executive Committee which met on 09-09-2002 to convene the Diocesan Council had only 2 elected members and was short of Quorum, which was hit by article XI (A – C) of the Constitution of Karachi Diocesan Council. The Constitution of the Church of Pakistan in Article XI C 9 (a) clearly says that “The Synod shall be the Supervisory and legislative body of the Church within its region. The arrangements for the election and allocation of Bishops shall be under its direction”. Where as the September is not recognized as a bishop by the Synod of the Church of Pakistan and proclaims this title on his own. In another Suit no. 150/2004, which was initiated by the so-called illegally appointed Secretary of Karachi Diocese (Mr. Shahzer Shamoun) and another against one Revd Naseem Manasee, the Learned Link Judge XIII Civil Judge (South), while passing the orders, after hearing both parties at length and perusal of the available material produced by both the sides, observed in his order that the post held by Rev. Sadiq Daniel is disputed and that he cannot exercise any power as Bishop of Karachi. The elected members of the Executive Committee, elected in 1993 which had the constitutional power to call the Diocesan Council were:- (1) Rev. Emmanuel Kaleem, (2) Rev. Raj Kumar, (3) Rev. Aslam Daniel, (4) Rev. Joseph Diwan, (5) Mr. S. Wilson, (6) Mr. Wilson Gill, (7) Mr. Naseem Bhatti, (8) DNS. B. K. Dass. Out of the above-mentioned members’ no. 1, 5 & 8 died before the year 2002 when the above-said meeting was held i.e. on 09-09-2002. Whereas no. 3, 6 & 7 had settled out of Pakistan before the year 2002 and were not in any capacity able to take part in the meeting held on 09-09-2002 as they ceased to be the members of the Karachi Diocesan Council and of any other committee which they were members of, this fact is stated according to the Constitution of Karachi Diocesan Council Article III (H), which is: “If any member of the Diocesan Council or Diocesan Committee takes a permanent residence outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Diocese, he ceases to be a member of the Diocesan Council and of any committee of he is a member.” Which left only two elected members on the active list (i.e. No. 2 and 4) and who were not in any position to constitute Executive Committee or to hold any meeting according to Article XI of the Constitution of the Karachi Diocesan Council. The remaining members were in total violation of the constitution as to when the meeting on 09-09-2002 is said to be held, for they were short of Quorum, and secondly holding the meeting under the chairmanship of Rev. Sadiq Daniel who himself is disputed bishop and holding his seat by force till today, and was at that time also, involved in multiple litigation in various Courts of Law. So much so that Rev. Sadiq Daniel himself have filed a Suit no. 996/2002 in the Honorable Sindh High Court where the issue of the Bishop of Karachi is yet to be decided by the Honorable Court. In another case bearing Suit no. 970/2003 a stay order is still operating against the Rev. Sadiq Daniel and his associates, who claim to be the Synod of the Church of Pakistan. Several letters were written to the then Secretary (Mr. Robert Josiah) by the Presbyters and Laymen/members of the Karachi Diocese, well in time wherein they were requested and advised to withdraw the notices for holding the Diocesan Council meeting on 11th and 12th October 2002, issued by him on 10th & 19th September 2002, further he was advised not to hold the Diocesan Council meeting as it would be illegal, unconstitutional and unlawful. Further the notices for the meetings of 11th and 12th October 2002 were not sent to all the Presbyters/members of the Karachi Diocesan Council on time. One Rev. Emis Daniel (Presbyter In-Charge Shah Faisal Parish) received the notice dated 10th September 2002 sent him through OCS by the Mr. Robert Josiah on behalf of the Executive Committee on the 11th October 2002. Whereas according the constitution of the Karachi Diocesan Council the notices/agenda of the meeting shall be sent to the members one month before the date of the meeting. The Constitution of the Church of Pakistan as well the constitution of the Karachi Diocesan Council clearly says that every Diocesan Council shall meet at least once a year. Whereas the Rev. Sadiq Daniel and his group have not been able to call any meeting of this so-called Diocesan Council, since it illegally met in October 2002, as majority members of the Diocese do not recognize this Diocesan Council as legal and constitutional. Article XI B (g) of the Constitution of the Church of Pakistan and Article V (A) of the constitution of the Karachi Diocesan Council are reproduced here for ready reference. Article XI B (g) from the constitution of the Church of Pakistan: - “Every Diocesan Council shall meet at least once a year”. Article V (A) from the constitution of the Karachi Diocesan Council: - “The Diocesan Council shall ordinarily meet at least one a year, in spring. The agenda shall be sent to members one month before the date of the meeting”. Rev. Sadiq Daniel and his group were sent written notices and letters by the members, Presbyters/Pastors of the Karachi Diocesan Council in view of the Constitutional illegalities, whereby their unconstitutional practice and illegal transactions from the accounts of Karachi Diocese was indicated they have not stopped their illegal & unconstitutional practice and have hijacked the offices and accounts of the Karachi Diocesan Council to achieve their ulterior motives, with malafide intention, and are withdrawing huge amounts from the accounts of Karachi Diocesan Council, without the approval of Legally Constituted Bodies, Boards, Committees. Embezzlement of more then 40 millions rupees, have been alleged by the members of the Karachi Diocese against them for which they have been asked time and again to furnish the details of the accounts and resources of the Karachi Diocese, but they pay no heed to the letters of members. Recently a Church property namely St. John’s Church, Plot no. 36, Block – 38, Tarachand Road, Keamari, Karachi have been sold, under the administrative control of the so-called Diocesan Council held on 11th and 12th October 2002. Your honor, these resources belong to the Karachi Diocese and it’s members and Rev. Sadiq Daniel is expending millions on his personal Court cases and self-projection to save his so-called bishop ship. The funding agencies (USPG, Inter serve, Church of Scotland and others) are sending funds to the Karachi Diocese, recognizing him as a Bishop. The only justification they have, to recognize Rev. Sadiq Daniel is that because the Anglican Communion recognizes Rev. Sadiq Daniel as the Bishop of Karachi they have to recognize him as a Bishop. The members of the Karachi Diocese are the ones who are being overlooked and left unfocused by the Anglican Communion. It is yet to be decided by the Honorable that who is the legally elected Bishop of Karachi Diocese for which the Anglican Communion can do nothing but if this practice of Rev. Sadiq Daniel and his group is not put an end to by your good office the resources of the Karachi Diocesan will be drained out by this group and Karachi Diocese will be left with zilch and nothing else. Your honor is requested to interfere in this situation as this crime, originated by a self proclaimed bishop and his associates is against the Karachi Diocese and it’s members and in the larger interest of the Diocese we are left with no other way then to stop them by the intervention of your honor or else we would be left with no other way then to knock the door of law to save the resources of the Karachi Diocese, which may even lead to a vacuum in the Diocese. Yours truly, Rev. Asif Ahmed Presbyter In-charge Sr. Michael’s Church Karachi Diocese, Church of Pakistan