Ishq-e-Rasool Day riots: President condemns church attack in Mardan

Interi­or Minist­er orders inquir­y into the attack on St Paul’s Luther­an Church, torched by protes­ters.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday condemned the mob attack on a church in Mardan during protests against an anti-Islam film on Ishq-e-Rasool (PBUH) Day.

The protesters not only set the St Paul’s Lutheran Church on fire, but looted the surrounding residential quarters.

Expressing disproval of the blasphemous movie, Zardari said the film was equally condemned throughout the world by Muslims and non-Muslims.

The president, however, said that destroying public and private property particularly the places of worship of other religions was itself an un-Islamic and highly condemnable act.

“Vandalising revered places of worship and inflicting damage in retaliation amounted to playing into the hands of perpetrators of the crime who produced the anti-Islam film,” the president said in a message.

Describing the church attack as an unfortunate act, Zardari said that it was contrary to the teachings of Islam which calls for respecting places of worship of all religions.

He added that incidents like these portrayed Pakistan and Muslims negatively.

Rehman Malik orders inquiry

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has ordered inquiry into the attack and has called for patience on the part of the Christian community, Express News reported.

He also assured that security will be provided to all the churches in the country.

The interior minister claimed that around 64 suspected miscreants have been arrested and were being investigated for the attack on the church.