On August 24th, a church in Ganjianwali Kalan was the site of a distressing incident in which thieves assaulted a local resident and stole several valuable items.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:00 AM, when the victim Karamat Masih, was on his way to St. Mary’s Church for morning prayers. Upon arriving at the church, he witnessed two men—identified as Bilal, son of Muqaddar, and Rehman, son of Khalil, both residents of Ganjianwali Kalan—attempting to steal items from the church premises.
When the victim tried to intervene, the suspects violently assaulted him, causing him to collapse. The thieves then fled, taking with them 6,000 rupees from the church's donation box, along with carpets, sacred statues, and chairs.
An official complaint was filed at the Agoki Police Station, and a case was registered under sections 457 and 380 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which pertain to housebreaking and theft. The Christian community in the area expressed outrage, seeing this as an attack not only on property but on their faith. Haroon Karamat, the victim’s son, described the incident as a serious violation of their sacred space.
Community leaders have called for swift police action, urging authorities to apprehend the culprits and increase security for religious sites, as such targeted attacks and thefts have become more frequent.
In a positive development, Dr. Adil Ghori, Chairman of the Christian Awakening Movement, confirmed to Pak Christian News (PCN) that the police have arrested the suspects. He, along with colleagues Nasir Khokhar, Roshi Ghori, and Dr. L. Van John, visited the church and the injured victim to offer their support and assure full legal assistance. Dr. Ghori also confirmed that the stolen items, including the church’s sacred objects and funds, have been recovered.
The suspects are currently in police custody and have been placed under a three-day remand for further investigation. Authorities have assured the community that justice will be served as the investigation continues.
