Nisar Masih, assistant at the Veterinary Dispensary at Jandiala in the Narang Mandi police area, told The Express Tribune that he had filed an application on August 4 to the Sheikhupura regional police officer (RPO) against ASI Rana Raees Ahmed, the police post in charge and constable Muhammad Sarfaraz for beating him up for drinking water from a glass he found in front of the former’s office.
According to the complaint, Sarfaraz took Nisar Masih to the office of Ahmed on seeing him drink water from the office cooler. Ahmed asked Nisar Masih about his religion. When he responded that he was a Christian, Ahmed remarked, “How dare you drink from a Muslim’s glass?” Ahmed then asked Nisar Misih to sit. When he sat in a chair, Ahmed admonished him, “How dare you sit on a chair? Sit on the ground.” Masih said Ahmed also abused and beat him. His ordeal only ended when dispensary incharge Dr Mohsin Farooq Hashmi and two other colleagues pleaded with Ahmed to secure his release. Nisar Masih said, “I approached former MPA Chaudhry Wajid Ali on July 29 to request action against the police officials. He informed the concerned DSP and also forwarded a written complaint.” He said he had stopped going to work since the incident fearing another beating.
ASI Ahmed told The Tribune he had had no objection to Nisar Maseeh sharing their glass when he did not know he was a Christian. “On July 28, there was a complaint and I called him to my office and asked him about his religion. He said he was a Christian, I asked, ‘How come he drinks from a glass used by Muslims?… Christians can’t use utensils used by Muslims.”
He denied that he had abused or beaten Nisar Maseeh. Instead, he said he had complained against him to Dr Hashmi. Ahmed said, “Dr Hashmi said he had no objection to sharing utensils with Christians… I told him to not let him drink water from our glass.” He said I have given the glass to Nisar Maseeh and asked him not to use the new glass.
Chaudhry Wajid Ali said he believed that Maseeh had been humiliated and beaten on account of his religious beliefs. He said the DSP had not responded to his complaint.
Speaking to The Tribune on August 9, DSP Ahsan Ilahi Khokhar said he was posted to the Muridke police circle recently and had not been told of the incident. “We will take action according to law if an excess is made out,” said Khokhar.
However, DSP Khokhar on August 31 denied either being aware of the incident or receiving any application of about the incident.
RPO Zulfiqar Cheema also said he did not remember any such application but he would pursue the matter and would bring the delinquent police officials to book. Chaudhry Wajid said he had given the application to DSP Khokhar and RPO Cheema and that they were deliberately lying.
Pakistan Ulema Council chief Tahir Ashrafi said such an act by a police official was condemnable. He said there was no religious restriction on Muslim to use utensils used by non-Muslims, including Christians. He said if the ASI in question did not like drinking water from a glass used by a Christian, he should have washed it. “However, there is no need to wash it either,” Ashrafi said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2012.
COMMENTS (16)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Concerned Citizen: You should ask why non Muslims want to leave every non Muslim country - be it Egypt, Iran, Yemen Pakistan etc. Muslim people have to show respect and tolerance to non Muslims if they expect to get the same when they are abroad.
@John B: " please enumerate three respects out of the infinite respects PAK Christians are receivning " You are right. see www.compassdirect.org
@Sharjeel khan: You have hit a nail on the head, Sir, My hat off to you. You are a human being of first class for telling the truth.
@Shahzad Ali Channa:
Is it respectful to Ahmadis who are discriminated every time a Pakistani applies for a Passport?
Is it respectful when non-Muslims are debarred by the Constitution itself from becoming a PM or a President?
Is it respectful that even after 66 years Hindus cannot register their marriage?
Yes, Religious discrimination exists in all countries, including mine, but Institutional discrimination is something unique to Pakistan. No Text Book in my country demonizes any ethnic or religious group, for instance.
Your kids start learning the language of hate from a tender age, and you wonder why Pakistan is most affected of Islamic Terror.
Its a case of a miserable manipulated person trying to cash in on present situation in any case a glass has always got to be washed after each use. perhaps he is looking for a promotion free of charge.just give him a handful of tenas.
Only animals behave in segregated way. Shameless police officials.
John B.
In Above article there are two types of muslims, one who disrespects christian and the other is islamic scholar who says it is wrong in the last para of the article. Above insane action of the policeman is neither representing islam, Sunnah nor it is representing society ( as this action is not supported by the government or law enforcing agencies and islamic scholars)
kindly believe in the positive part of the story and avoid any negative reaction. all we can do is to condemn, punish thats all.
@Shahzad Ali Channa: Please enumerate three "respects" out of the infinite respects PAK Christians are receiving.
infinite respect these christians get from muslims is never published, above mentioned single story of disrespect committed by any insane policeman is published in newspaper that is reached to millions of people around the globe. What message do you want to convey by publishing raremost stupid examples of the society. Kindly play positive role and bring people together nearer instead creating differences by posting such unpleasant headlines that does not really represent MUSLIMS or islam.
@George W: I think everyone wants to leave this country. It is not about non-muslims only. People in power and who are corrupt do such activities on everyone be they muslims or non-muslims. However, non-muslims have a much harder time in this country. But, at the same time we all are not like this, it is some people who give our religion and country and bad name.
infinite respect these christians get from muslims is never published, above mentioned single story of disrespect committed by any insane policeman is published in newspaper that is reached to millions of people around the world. What message do you want to convey by publishing raremost stupid examples of the society. Kindly play positive role and bring people together nearer instead creating differences by posting such unpleasant headlines that does not really represent MUSLIMS or islam.
Not surprised! I remember, we had an Ahmadi colleague at our work place. One of the guys told incharge of kitchen to keep that guy's plates separate from the rest of us. Being senior, I had intervene and made sure that no such thing happened. Don't know whom to blame, but we certainly have a problem of selective fanaticism in religious matters. People may indulge in all sorts of sins, crimes, lies; but still have the audacity to portray themselves as champions of religious values. What else is 'munaafiqat'?
A new low the people of Pakistan. congratulations.
This is very commonplace.I've seen this happening in my college and university days.No one used to drink from the glass or cold drink bottle of our Hindu,christian and parsi classfellows. Everyone used to say that non-muslims are 'napaak' and 'unclean' so we can't share their utensils. We treat non-muslims as second class human beings and then we scream and complain that the west doesn't treat us well,the west treats us a million times better as compared to how we treat non-muslims.
....and then they're shocked when non-muslims say they wanna leave this country forever...
"untouchability is a crime against humanity"- Gandhi