Peshawar: Police in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province expanded Monday their probe into the terror attack on two Christian priests. The attack on the Christian priest left one of them dead and another wounded here. The incident has shocked the minority community in Pakistan.
Unidentified gunmen opened fire at Bishop William Siraj and Father Naeem Patrick while they were returning home in their vehicle from Sunday mass. Bishop Siraj died on the spot, while Father Patrick sustained injuries in the attack, which the police described it as a ‘terrorist act’.
Gulbahar police said that a search operation had been launched in the area to arrest the attackers. A murder case had been registered against the unidentified assailants, the ‘Dawn’ newspaper reported.
Peshawar police chief Abbas Ahsan said that officials from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) as well as investigators from the local police station were carrying out investigation into the incident. Father Patrick has registered an FIR into the killing of Bishop Siraj by unknown gunmen with the CTD. The FIR has been registered under various sections of anti terrorist law.
Ahsan said that two teams of experts had been formed to probe the incident. He informed that terrorists were now hitting soft targets and police are determined to ensure the protection of all minorities in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. One of the attackers was wearing a helmet, while the other covered his face with a cloth, he added.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Chief Moazzam Jah Ansari along with other senior police officers visited the site and was briefed about progress in the case. He asked the investigation team to take the case as a challenge and nab the culprits at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the last rites of Bishop Siraj were held at the All Saints Church Kohati in the city amid tight security. The police had sealed the nearby areas to prevent any untoward incident.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special adviser on religious affairs and religious harmony, Tahir Ashrafi, assured Pakistani Christians that the attackers would be arrested.
Christian religious leaders, including National Minorities Commission member Albert David, also condemned the attack, the ‘Express Tribune’ newspaper reported. David demanded immediate investigation into the incident and arrest of the culprits. He also called on the government to ensure the safety of Christian institutions and leaders in view of the ‘rising tide of terrorism’.
