Dear Brother/Sister in Christ!
Greetings and Blessings from Pakistan!
Today I’m share with you very dangerous news, report, information from Pakistan.
I hoe in Christ after reading this very dangerous news, report, information as
Brother/Sister and servant of Christ you are much worried this happens. I would
be grateful, if you were to forward this reports onto all your best, friends,
co-worker and all Missionaries, Evangelists, Pastors, Elders, Ministries,
Churches, Organizations, Religious Denominations, Congregations and servant or
minister of God in your country etc The news, report is given below:-
The Twin Suicide Bombing Attack in Anglican Church in Pakistan
Monday September 23, 2013 Peshawar Pakistan. At least 81 persons were killed and
146 sustained injuries when two suicide bombers targeted worshippers at the
130-year old All Saints’ Church in the inner city Kohati Gate locality here on
Sunday. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced three days of mourning
following the most deadly attack on the religious minorities so far in the
history of the country. The attack was the second largest in Peshawar in terms
of casualties. The largest was an explosion in Meena Bazaar on October 28, 2009,
in which 137 persons lost their lives and some 200 were wounded. All the
churches as well as the missionary schools in the country will remain closed in
mourning for three days.
A number of political parties also announced three-day mourning over the
tragedy. Sources said around 400 members of the Christian community were coming
out of the church after attending the Sunday services when two suicide bombers,
who had sneaked into the crowd of worshippers, blew themselves up in quick
succession at around 11:50am. Eyewitnesses said there were horrible scenes after
the two explosions as men, women and children were lying in pools of blood and
crying for help. Many others were breathing their last in the laps of their
loved ones. The maimed bodies of children were seen lying close to their
siblings and parents all over the courtyard of the church building. The local
traders, who couldn’t control their tears, placed their chaddars on the bodies
of the slain worshippers. People were seen running around in panic while
searching for their missing children, spouses and parents. Shopkeepers in the
nearby markets closed their shops
immediately after the blast and transported the wounded and the bodies in their
vehicles to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), where a state of emergency was
declared. They and other philanthropists donated coffin boxes for the dead.
Moving scenes were witnessed at the site of the blast as well as the LRH where
the wounded women and children were brought. Many among the injured were dying,
others were in severe pain and their clothes were soaked in blood.
Many women and children fell unconscious after seeing the blood-stained bodies
of their loved ones. They were crying inconsolably as their relatives tried to
console them. We have counted over 60 bodies so far. The number of wounded is
over 120,” the chief executive of the LRH Prof Dr Arshad Javed told reporters
earlier in the day. The death toll kept rising until it reached 78. “The death
toll has reached 78, including 34 women and seven children,” said an official.
The FIR of the case was lodged in the Khan Raziq Police Station. The Federal and
KP governments announced three-day mourning over the attack. Entire families
were devastated with several dead and injured in the attacks. They had come
together to pray at the church and were destined to die at the same time. Among
those killed in the incident were a school headmaster, Naeem Nazir, his wife
Mona Naeem, daughters Merab Naeem and Mary Naeem, his brother Nasir Nazir and a
niece Angel. Zarin
Sabir, a class 10 student, along with her cousin Samreen, also died in the
attack.
Amir and his wife Razia, his children Shamoona and Jessy, and a niece Jia were
also among those killed. Amir’s nephew Roshan was missing while Amir’s mother
was wounded. A 12-year old boy Ihsan and his sister Neha died while their mother
was wounded. Muneeza, a student of class five, was killed and her mother was
injured. Others killed in the blast were identified as Riaz Washington, Joseph,
Wajid and Khalid Fakhar. A school headmaster, Naveed Shirazi, and his eight-year
old daughter Sania were also among those killed while his two sons were
critically wounded. The principal of the Government High School No 4, William
Ghulam, and his son Nohal, who was an MBBS final year student, were also killed.
William’s wife was wounded and hospitalized, perhaps unaware that her husband
and son were dead. Initially, it was reported that one bomber had targeted the
church, built in 1883, and frequented by the poor members of the Christian
community living in the
congested inner city. However, later the investigators confirmed that two
suicide bombers had attacked the church. Eyewitnesses were quoted as saying that
one of the bombers wore trousers and a shirt, obviously to easily gain access to
the church.
The newly elected Member of the National Assembly from Peshawar, Ghulam Ahmad
Bilour, Senior Minister Sikander Sherpao, Information Minister Shah Farman,
former minister and ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain and others visited the
scene of the blast as well as the LRH to console the victims of the incident.
“It was a tragic incident. I am supervising the facilities being provided to the
victims at the LRH,” provincial Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said. He too
had rushed back from Islamabad and had to face an angry crowd of mourners
staging a protest at the hospital. The minister defended the role of doctors and
said they along with the paramedics were called from their homes to attend to
the injured. He added that the doctors and other employees were taking their
weekly Sunday off when the blast occurred. He said the LRH was able to cope with
the situation when 78 bodies and over a hundred wounded were brought to the
hospital.
The relatives of the victims staged a protest at the hospital and also on the
Grand Trunk Road and caused traffic jams. They were protesting against the poor
security arrangements at their places of worship and inadequate arrangements at
the hospital’s emergency department to cope with the tragedy. The ANP and other
political parties also announced three days of mourning. A large number of
members of the Christian community as well as hundreds of Muslims rushed to the
hospital to donate blood for the victims. Our Kohat correspondent adds: Jundul
Hafsa, an affiliate organization of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP), has claimed responsibility for the attack on the church in Peshawar.
Talking to The News from an undisclosed location, its spokesman Ahmedullah said
that they had sent the suicide bombers to the church to avenge the killing of
innocent people in US drone attacks. He said that they would continue killing
‘foreigners’ in
Pakistan in retaliation to the US drone strikes. I will be hitting the streets
of this world with this Pakistan Christian family’s prayer request now. I will
try to get back to hitting the streets of this world with worldwide prayer
request lists later today. This has just tore my heart out! What kind of minds
do these Satan driven heathen terrorists have in their heads, to do something
like this? It is very important sinners ask Jesus Christ to be their Lord and
Savior, living in this time frame. We will meet those Pakistan Christians in
heaven.
Please, prayer help cover these Pakistan Christians in prayer! Thank you for
praying! Please cover their families in your prayers. I will share with you many
Pakistani Christians families already facing persecution, victims, violence,
raping, and problems through Muslims. Please pray to God giving freedom,
prosperity, restoration, Pakistani Christian people, through financially,
emotionally, and spiritually and God knowing our patient, diligent, honestly,
sincerity, loyalty, hard working for God’s purpose in very darkness, dangerous
part of the world in Pakistan. Please do keep these Pakistani Christians
families in your daily prayers. We have opportunities to impact many thousands
of lives this year. We really do value your prayer partnership. Please be
blessed and share with all your friends. Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance as
we move forwards in 2013 to impact many more lives for Jesus Christ. May God
grant you a great harvest as you plant and
water for Him!
Yours Sincerely in Christ!
Reverend Pervaiz Khokhar
Chairman
The Preaching Society & Social Welfare Services
Mohallah Rasool Pura Street No 7
Jhumra City 37700
Faisalabad,
PAKISTAN
