38 Years of service: 70-year-old Swedish charity worker shot in Lahore
A charity worker from Sweden, who has dedicated close to 40 years to charity work in Pakistan, was shot in broad daylight by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Monday.
Now hospitalised, Bargeeta Almby, 70, was returning from work when she was attacked by unknown assailants in the Model Town neighbourhood, where she lives.
She suffered a bullet injury on her neck and was immediately shifted to Jinnah Hospital after the incident, where her condition is stated to be critical.
Almby has lived in Pakistan for the past 38 years, according to the police.
The Swede is the managing director in Pakistan of the Full Gospel Assemblies (FGA), which describes itself as a ‘church fellowship’ founded in the US with congregations worldwide.
Almby runs various centers in different areas of Lahore, including an orphanage in Yohana Abad and a literacy centre in Modern Colony in the Kot Lakhpat area.
In the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake, Almby donated Rs30 million to the government for establishing a database centre in Balakot, while the FGA also constructed various shelter homes across the country for earthquake and flood victims.
According to FGA media coordinator Salim Iqbal, she lived adjacent to the residence of Pakistan Peoples Party Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo.
“Although the police are deployed at Wattoo’s residence, they could neither identify the shooter nor shield Almby,” Iqbal said.
A case has been registered at the Model Town Police Station under Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of Salim Sadiq, the chairman of FGA Pakistan.
A police official, Ehsanul Haq Hashmi, told The Express Tribune there were witnesses of the incident and they were waiting for Almby to gain consciousness to record her statement.
He further said that the motive behind the incident has so far not been ascertained. The police are also investigating how the gunmen managed to escape despite the presence of police and Rangers.
Meanwhile, Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teo Zetterman confirmed the incident, and added that the motive behind the attack was unclear. Advisor to Prime Minister of Pakistan on National Harmony Dr Paul Bhatti confirmed that Almby’s condition was stated to be serious by her doctors.
Condemning the act of violence, he said, “I’m really sorry that this happens in our country where a few people are trying to disturb peace.”
Christian rights activists strongly denounced the attack saying that Almby was a non-political personality and had been living in Lahore since years.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) termed the attack extremely deplorable and condemnable.
In August last year, a 71-year-old US development worker Warren Weinstein, was kidnapped after gunmen managed to get into his Lahore home.
In April, a British Muslim Red Cross worker was beheaded nearly four months after being kidnapped in the southwestern city of Quetta.(With additional input from AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2012.
COMMENTS (24)
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As much as I hate to write it, move foreign aid workers out of the country and employ locals only for now.
@Caramelized_Onion: please know that america has been our friend after the birth of Pakistan and in deed we owe our freedom to their generousness help with our armed forces to stand up to india. they are our friends just like china,but on deference agenda
i am a Muslim,but the act of heartless,cold blooded evilness that has taken place makes me ashamed of my Pakistan. i suppose the devil was a mad mula type the crazy do gooders, utterly ashamed of my people,who can commit such a ugly crime.considering the age of the victim and line of work and dedication for the good of others,never mind what and which religion. they all leads to the same way peace and harmony,but those mad mula types.should be coucht by now.
@ Amina. @ Abdul Rauf. @ Spacedout @ Sharma.
By protesting against Christian conversion, I am not condoning conversion by any other religion. Interfering in one's faith is one of the most a despicable acts, according to me. But, when the church instructs its missionaries and members to convert covertly - through ostensible acts of goodness and kindness, duplicity sets in. All good gets erased when there is a hidden agenda. No orphan was raised, no homeless was kept warm,no flood victim was saved without the thought of converting that poor soul to their religion by the church. This kind of covert operations identify intelligence agencies and not spiritual organisations. Many Muslim organisations in Pakistan do the same kind of work on humanitarian lines without really getting distracted by conversion. Can the church or its brave warriors even think of doing any good to poor members of society if the chance to convert was taken away ?????? They won't waste time, believe me.
This person spent 38 years of her life helping the poor of Pakistan and this is how that ungrateful country replayed her?...what a disgusting place to live on this planet...
@Eshal: very good Eshal, take revenge of Raymond Davis with every good person who is trying to help Pakistan. She donated Rs. 30 m during 05 earthquake. tell me how many muslims donated this much... you are right, good people are not allowed to live in this HELL. All missionaries and aid workers should go and leave this country to its evil-doers...
@Sinner Proselytisers:
Actually, I live in India.
I was not trying to fan the flames my friend. I was just trying to show you the irony of how all right wing movements share similar ideology.
Let me spell it out for you.
Anti-proselytization is a fairly big issue in India but one that emerges only occasionally. Hinduism does not convert. The RSS / VHP combine in an effort to counter missionaries conversion came up with a whole new brand of Hinduism for Dalits to reconvert. All very bizarre.
What's interesting is that the Right wing Islamic groups of Pakistan and Right wing Hindu groups all look the same when we strip away the names and territories that they claim to represent.
stay calm.
holding up,, shooting at a defenceless 70 year old, regardless of race, colour, nationality, religion can only be done by deranged sub-humans. This is not Islam
Pakistan continues to solidify the need for its total extermination. Why does the world need a nation where the national character is a poster child for death, violence, terrorism, suffering of minorities and the list goes on.
When people of Pakistan step out into the world, most stand out due to their mannerism and habits. They make the people of host nation detest them.
I don't know why Ms. Almby would have stayed in this gutter of a country, but she did and Pakistani Nation is going to pay a price for this incident.
The MUSHRIK REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN needs to recognize that no one cares if their own people die but when foreign nationals and minority are hurt the whole world cares.
It makes me sick when Pakistanis claim to be Muslims because they are not even in the neighborhood of the truth. You have young people walking around with hideous looking beards or covered in Burqa and it is laughable that these morons think that they are following Islam.
So I really hope that the World exterminates MROP - MUSHRIK Republic of Pakistan
@Sinner Proselytisers: does't muslims go in foreign countries and try to spread the message of Islam. Should those be also killed. I am sorry to say but please stop this nonsense. no one should be killed on the name of religion as long as it does not insult or incur harm to other religion- even for this case as well Islam says to forgive to maximum extent u can.
When someone is seen making a zig while he is supposed to zag, the Jesus in you rises on the same moment, the same day, to save the person from taking the wrong path. There is a Jesus under every rock. . Everyone is not as subtle as the Morality Police, I hear though there is a lot of money in it. Ask Dawkins. That's why Pakistan has become such a safe place. Every day that you survive, you thank the Lord for that day.
Why should anyone whack a 70 year old lady who too was in the same business of guiding the misguided. Was Birgitta Almby (you spell either Birgitta or Brigitta and nicked usually as Biggan but never before heard the it in Lahorese=Bargeeta), a threat to the Johnny-come-lately-Muslims? Malala at thirteen, and Biggan at 70, can be a threat in the smooth functioning of blessed ones' agenda too. You never know what women can achieve in the future. The patron-in-chief of these gun-totting non-violent gangs must be very pleased, the problem is well taken care off. Let it be a warning for the pesky ones.. . Please vote for the New Jesus he is our last chance. . Arguing along the lines of Our Bros in arms, why doesn't ET publish pictures of the Temple showing how much of it was destroyed? May be it was not even touched, just a lie being spread by you know, those usual 3 culprits.
Sorry madam.
sad sad sad ....pray for her recovery....Why dis happen near the residence of Nawaz Sharif house i mean Model Town area
How can you curb terrorism when no terrorist has ever been punished. Public hanging may instill some fear of God in the hearts of these cruel people.
Opposing conversion or at least subterfuge by the Church may brand me as right wing Hindus by trigger happy nuts like " spaced out rioting " or what ever his name is, the point is to be noted. The spread of the religion , I don't believe has anything to do with the love of their god. It is political control and the power that gets bestowed with the church. The continent of Africa has been destroyed by these missionaries. Tribes and their unique practices have been lost for eternity because the church could not tolerate an identity. I say live and let live. No human being has changed his karma by converting. Spaced out riting - I am trying to protest and point out a valid reason for the shooting. These things don't happen in India, at least not so regularly. You live in Pakistan with religious intolerance so strife that a day without killing would be odd for intellectuals like you. So you think about that if you're brain can take step up.
@Sinner Proselytisers:
Wow. You sound just like the extreme Hindu Right in India. Now that is food for thought for you my friend, if you brain can make the desired intellectual leap, that is.
@Sinner Proselytisers:
"The reason for this shooting is to send a clear and overt message, a message that is opposite to the covert one the church is sending, and that is ” STOP CONVERSION “.
If the majority of adherents of any religion be it Hinduism or Islam, continue to remain apathetic towards the economical, and social status of the poor depriving them the opportunity to improve in life and society,the situations are rife to look for change and hope elsewhere. In case conversion is by violent means it is to be opposed. When Islam spread in so many countries was there no conversion ? Today also there are several websites and agencies encouraging to convert to Islam no body treats it unjust and unfair. Why it can be now assumed as unjust and unfair. on the part of Almby . Violence is resorted when we are unable to counter the action civilly. Please ponder with open mind.
Most of Warren's development work included handling local American Intelligence operatives, not too different from Raymond Davis.
People like him do a great disservice to the work of the likes of Bargeeta Almby who dedicate their lives to a noble cause. Her shooting aside, Americans have always used NGOs, Aid Workers and Mil. Trainers to run spy networks, damaging the cause of honest genuine people.
@Omer: And what about Raymond Davis???
nothing but a bunch of thugs would do such a think
Shocking and shameful... These minority and only few terrorists are dirty fishes in the pond!!!
We want terrorist and mullahs .. no aid workers welcome
ps: being sarcastic