KUN0060 4 GEN 0291 KUWAIT /KUNA-JLC4 SEC-PESHAWAR-PASTOR-KILLING Pastor killed for converting Muslims to Christianity in Pakistan ISLAMABAD, April 9 (KUNA) -- A pastor and his driver had been killed by some alleged religious extremists for converting Muslims to Christianity in a Pakistani northwestern province, governed by fundamentalist religious group Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) enforcing extremist retrogressive brand of Islam. The dead bodies of a pastor, Babar Simpson, of the Jesus Pan Gospel Church and his driver were found on Thursday on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), two days after they were kidnapped. Police said both were tortured before being shot to death. It said Simpson was killed for his brother had relations with a woman. However, a local newspaper report quoted Simpsons assistant, Amin Bhatti, as saying, "Babar Simpson was accused of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity". He said Babar Simpson appears to have been killed by some religious extremists for his efforts to convert many Muslims to Christianity. The report said that Babar Simpson was also running a charity through Ilam Dost Welfare Trust, an NGO. He used to visit refugee camps for charity work. Citing unnamed sources, the report said that police is searching for a former Khatib of a mosque who is reported to have been converted to Christianity by Simpson. It added that the former Khatib was working for Babar Simpson in poor communities, particularly in Afghan refugee camps. On Friday, about 200 angry mourners protested against his killing in Peshawar and blocked a key road. They demanded arrest of the killers. Simpson was the third Christian cleric killed over the past two years. (end) amn.rk KUNA 091621 Apr 05NNNN