Morning Star News
Presbyterian assistant pastor Sarfaraz Raja was preparing to deliver a Good Friday sermon in Pakistan on April 10 when his brother informed him by phone that police had intruded into his house and were harassing his mother and other family members.
Upset that the pastor had complained of police misbehavior and knowing that Christians had little status in the 96-percent Muslim society, the officers were planning to frame him on trumped-up charges of making and selling liquor, sources said.
“I excused myself from the sermon and immediately rushed to my home accompanied by the village headman, Chaudhry Ranjeet Lal, and some other people,” said Pastor Raja of Youngsen Memorial Church in Youngsenabad village in Nankana District, Punjab Province.
They arrived to find Sub-Inspector Malik Shahbaz Ahmed and five other policemen in the courtyard threatening his mother and other family members, he said.
“I asked the police why had they entered my house without a warrant and were misbehaving with my family, at which point SI Shahbaz, instead of explaining the purpose of his raid, grabbed my collar and bundled me into their official vehicle amid protests by my family members and the village elders,” Pastor Raja said.
Police also arrested his uncle, Manzoor Raja, known as Kaali, who lives with the family, he said.
The pastor said that upon reaching the police station, officers took out liquor manufacturing equipment from a room and forcibly took the two men’s photographs with it. They then registered a case (No. 184/20) against them under anti-narcotics and illegal substance laws, accusing them of illegally manufacturing and selling liquor, he said.
He was released on bail the next day. Police falsely arrested him because he has complained about them protecting area criminals, the pastor said.
“Almost all crimes in our villages are backed by the local police,” he said.
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