KARACHI: Senior leaders of Church of Pakistan Diocese of Karachi leaders Father Shafique Kanawal, Prof Inayat Dean, Father Naseem Kaleem, madam Ghazala Shafique, Father Anwar Rehmat, Jeafer Dean and civil society representative Sheema Kirmani have appealed to the government and apex judiciary to save the properties of Church from land mafia.
Addressing a press conference here Thursday, at Karachi Press Club regarding the elections of the Bishop of Karachi and properties of Diocese of Karachi, they appeal RF to the Sindh High Court Chief Justice, Sindh governor and Sindh chief minister to stop illegal intervention in the election of Bishop of Karachi and also save precious Church properties worth billions of rupees from land grabbers.
Pastor Shafiq Kanawal said that Sir Henery Holland Eye Hospital of Shikarpur, which was the first big eye hospital of whole Asia was occupied and sold by land grabbers, despite the fact that it was a declared heritage site. He said the school of Quaid e Azam, Sheildon high school, Darul Khushnood, a school of special children, and CMS Church compound are also closed down. He said vested interests are interfering into the election of the Bishop of Karachi.
He said the Christian community want to elect the Bishop of their choice but the land mafia want to get elected their own man. He said Christian representative in Sindh government MPA Naveed Anthony, Advocate general Sindh Salman Talibuddin and Advocate Khuram Iqbal are misguiding court. He said majority of our vote bank likes the PPP, but these conspiracies have created unrest in our community.
He requested Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to listen to their voice and dole them out justice. Prof Inayat Dean said that he had been a member of church since 1971 and also served on higher posts. He said land mafia is eyeing precious Church properties. Madam Ghazala said that MPA Naveed Anthony had to raise voice on this issue but he has not conducted a single press conference.
Sheema Kirmani said that she was educated from a missionary school. She said majority of the Church properties are of cultural and heritage nature. They are our collective assets and we have to safeguard them. They appealed to the apex judiciary, Sindh governor and Sindh chief minister to take notice of the situation and provide them justice.