Kasur - July 17, 2024: In the village of Jatri, Kasur, Muslim landlords are coercing Christian residents to vacate their homes. With the assistance of local police, these landlords are allegedly fabricating accusations against the Christian villagers, leading to their illegal imprisonment. This tactic is believed to be a deliberate attempt to intimidate and force the Christians to leave.
Family members from Jatri traveled to Lahore to meet with Aslam Pervez Sahotra, chairman of the Masiha Millat Party, to share their ordeal. Kashif Masih, a resident of Jatri, recounted how he was detained by police for five hours without any cause. Kashif, recently married, has no children yet, and his family has lived on this land since before Pakistan's creation. The land was originally granted to their forefathers.
Local resident Sikandar Masih explained that police acted on orders from the Muslim landlords. He noted that three villagers are currently imprisoned on minor, fabricated charges. The landlords, with police backing, are harassing other villagers as well. Sikandar revealed that the landlords instructed the police to beat his brother and ensure he wasn’t released quickly.
Elder Akram Masih from Jatri described an incident where his nephew Kashif was working on handicrafts with his family when the police arrived, beat him en route to the station, and continued the abuse there. Akram pleaded with the Chief Minister of Punjab for relief, emphasizing their dire financial situation and stating, "We are hardworking people, not criminals."
Aslam Pervez Sahotra highlighted the ongoing violence against Christians in Jatri. He mentioned that Kashif was crafting straw handicrafts when the police detained him. Sahotra noted that three boys are already imprisoned in Kasur under false charges. He called on the Chief Minister of Pakistan to appoint an officer to investigate the landlords' actions.
A community centre built for Christians was demolished by the landlords, who also destroyed drainage systems and stole building materials. Sahotra argued that these actions aim to drive Christians out of the area. He mentioned multiple instances of oppression against the elderly and women.
Sahotra met with DSP Saleem Haider, who dismissed three cases against 87 Christians. Despite this, three individuals have been in Kasur jail for over a year and a half, with 20 to 25 false cases filed against them. Sahotra urged the DSP, DIG, and DPO to investigate Kashif Masih’s case, stressing that it shouldn’t always require intervention from the IG police.
Sahotra further explained that the underlying issue is land that was granted to Christian families by the government before Pakistan’s creation. Landlords Rana Israr, Rana Anwar, and the village numberdar aim to seize this land, which legally cannot be sold. These landlords, who arrived in 1988, first took over a tube well owned by Christians and gradually involved local police in their scheme. The land is legally registered in the names of the Christian families, as confirmed by Sahotra after checking the records.
