Muslim Radicals Set Christian TV Station in Pakistan on Fire
Muslim radicals allegedly set on fire a Christian TV station in Karachi, Pakistan, resulting in the collapse of the building.
Staff of Christian TV station Gawahi TV said masked men burned their head office at 2:30 a.m. and fled from the scene right after. The station, which was founded more than two years ago by Catholics and Protestants, had constantly received treats from Muslim radicals before the arson happened, according to Breitbart.
Gawahi TV was originally founded in February 2013 for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Pakistan through nonstop broadcasts of songs, sermons, Bible reflections, and evangelical message for young Christians. The Christian TV station had repeatedly requested protection from the threats of Muslim radicals in the area, but authorities were unable to grant their request, the report details.
Gawahi Mission Trust head Javed Williams announced that the TV station will halt operations temporarily but will continue to work on their mission, the report adds.
Several Catholic Church members, including Father John Arif of the Diocese of Karachi, expressed their disappointment at what happened. Pakistan Christian Congress' president, Dr. Nazir Bhatti, called for the apprehension of those responsible for the attack, the report relays.
"It is surprising that Pakistani Electronic media owned by Muslims have again not bothered to cover setting on fire incident of Gawahi TV when minor issues are taken as breaking news by it," Breitbart quotes Bhatti's statement.
Employees of the TV station said the fire was set on purpose. In addition, they reported some computers either missing or stolen. Assistant manager Irfan Daniel, who cited their missing hard disks, said whoever is behind this thought about it carefully, The New York Times reports.
The burning down of Gawahi TV's office is just one of the recent attacks on the country's religious minorities. In March, more than a dozen individuals died after two bombs detonated outside churches in Lahore. Last week, a factory and a mosque were attacked over Quran-burning allegations.
Meanwhile, authorities released a statement on Thursday saying they have begun investigating the fire that burned down Gawahi TV's headquarters.
