Date : 09/04/2005
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
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