Securing minorities: Christians dissatisfied with security measures

Three children injured in Sunday’s church bombing shifted to PIMS burn unit.

ISLAMABAD:

Miseries of the victims of suicide attacks at a church in Peshawar did not end with the blasts as survivors were forced to suffer unduly due to lack of treatment facilities in the provincial capital’s hospitals. Among them are three children who were brought to the burn centre of Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (Pims) on Tuesday.

Simran 14, Arsalan, 8 and Mehak, 4, suffered third-degree burns in the Peshawar blasts and due to the absence of a burn unit in the city, they were admitted in a general surgical ward where they were given initial treatment.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, official spokesperson at Pims, Ayesha said, “The three burn victim have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the burn care unit of the hospital.” She said Arsalan is critical, while Simran and Mehak are somewhat stable.

An official at the Pims burn care unit, requesting anonymity, said Simran has suffered 55%, Arsalan 40% and Mehak 35% burn injuries but in children the percentage of these injuries is considered double.

The official said Arsalan had sustained burn injuries on the left side of his face and body. “He’s critical and in severe pain and we are making all-out efforts to safe him,” said the official. Razia, Arsalan’s mother sat outside the burn care unit and was asking every staffer coming out of the burn care unit whether her son would survive. She seemed worried if the doctors had given her son, an egg, a glass of milk and a banana. “Arsalan is my youngest child and I don’t have courage to see him in such pain. I haven’t even seen my husband who was also badly injured in the bomb blast and is admitted in a hospital in Peshawar,” she said.

She said that just like every weekend, this Sunday too Arsalan along with his father Tariq who is a sweeper, went to church to say prayers. “My son bathed, wore new clothes and polished his shoes to go to church,” she recalled, while tears rolled down her cheeks.

After an hour I heard one of my neighbours telling one of my sons that his brother and father were soaked in blood. “I quickly ran to a nearby house and watched TV to confirm the news. At the time it seemed like my world had come to an end.”

Security measures

In the aftermath of the horrific church bombings in Peshawar, Christians expressed dissatisfaction at the latest security measures at their places of worship.

After the interior ministry announced strict security measures for churches in the federal capital, Christians say the steps taken are reactionary and cosmetic.

Over 100 churches, Christian ministries and other places of worship located in and around Islamabad remain vulnerable.

Though, police constables have been deployed at the front gates of the city’s main churches, including My Lady of Fatima in F-8, Saint Thomas in G-7/2, United Pentecostal in G-7/4, and the under-construction Full Gospel Assembly in G-8/1, but Christians are dissatisfied, saying the security in place was inadequate.

“It’s a routine matter. Whenever, a major terrorism incident occurs, the police deploy one or two officials at the gates who are withdrawn after a day or two,” said spokesperson of Christian Youth Uplift Forum, Anjum Shahzad.

“On the day of Peshawar’s church bombing, three to four policemen were deployed at the city’s main churches but after 48 hours, police started withdrawing their men,” he added.

According to Shahzad, the security situation was pathetic at sub-churches or ministries. “We ask the government to provide permanent security to all churches.” Christians are willing to volunteer for security duties, he added.

Meanwhile, members of the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists and civil society activists held a protest vigil outside the National Press Club to show solidarity with the victims of the Peshawar church attack. They demanded greater protection for minorities all over the country and demanded that the government bring the culprits to justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2013.