Christians vow to defend land to the death

Around 12 accused persons, in connivance with a minority MPA, sold the facility

LAHORE: The Christian community has warned of dire consequences if the possession of the United Christian Hospital (UCH) is given to the facility’s buyers.

Around 12 accused persons ,in connivance with a minority MPA sold the place. Community members expressed their fear in an application filed by a petitioner in district and sessions court.

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They said they would deal with those people who come to receive the possession of the hospital. Pastor Sohail Kanwal, who is serving as pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan (PCP), claimed that 12 men, identified as Imran, Victor, Azraya, Majeed Abel, Javed Gill, Sabir Gill, Naseem Akhtar, Akash Methu, Ananthani Lemoyel, Ainan Samuel, Haleem Gulfam Robert, in connivance with MPA Shunila Ruth, sold the hospital and embezzled millions in public funds. “The accused have played with the sentiments of the Christian community.”



Pastor Sohail filed the petition in the district and sessions court and alleged that the accused persons looked after all management issues of the PCP and the UCH.

He added that they tried to sell the facility to a company, upon which he obtained a stay order, but they still sold it, he said. “We had displayed a small board inscribed with the sentence that the court had awarded us a stay order and the land of the hospital could not be sold to anyone.” He implored the UCH was sold to a company and they found out that the amount of Rs7.5 million and Rs2.5 million was transferred to the UCH account in the Habib Bank branch of Lawrence Road and millions of rupees were embezzled.

The pastor said that despite repeated questions about the total amount they had received after selling hospital, they did not provide any details. He contended that the new company had deputed 30 security guards at the UCH, the OPD which was closed earlier, had now been opened and electricity had been restored. Some other hospital employees haven’t been paid their salaries for the last few months, he added.



The petitioner said that he visited the concerned SHO Gulber but all in vain. He requested the court to direct the SHO to register an FIR against the accused persons for selling the UCH illegally.

When contacted, MPA Shunial Ruth refuted the allegations and claimed that they did not sell the hospital. She alleged that the petitioner and his five henchmen had sold PCP, upon which an FIR was registered against them. She added that the petitioner was caught red-handed while receiving an advance amount of Rs8.5 million.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2017.