Funeral service of assassinated 42-year old Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was held at Khatoon e Fatima (Lady Fatima) Church in sector F-8, Islamabad in which Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, ministers, parliamentarians, foreign diplomats and a large number of people from all walks of life participated.
Emotional scenes were witnessed in and outside the Lady Fatima Church when the body of Shahbaz Bhatti was brought to the Church for funeral service and later when it was dispatched to Khushpur village of Tehsil Sumandari of Faisalabad district for burial.The mass service of the slain Minister, a Roman Catholic, started at 11 am and ended at 12.30 pm.
The mood was somber at the service and Shahbaz Bhatti's mother, sisters, brothers, family members and friends were crying during the service. Bishop Rofin Anthony, Bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi Diocese led the funeral service along with Bishop Andrew Francis, Bishop of Multan, Father Rehman Hakim, custodian of Lady Fatima church, Father Reverend Ishfaq Mazhar, Clergy of Islamabad and a large number of pastors.
Pakistan Muslim League (Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Federal Ministers Rehman Malik, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, parliamentarians, Ambassadors of France, Netherlands, Germany and Greece, other diplomats and people from all walks of life took part in the funeral service. After the service the body was taken by helicopter to the native village of slain Minister for last rites and burial.
A large number of people visited the residence of Shahbaz Bhatti and piles of flowers were placed at the location where the Minister was brutally gunned down by unknown assassins in a Mehran car on Wednesday morning. Stringent security measures were evident during the funeral service and the area was completed sealed with a massive deployment of Pakistan Rangers, Frontier Constabulary, Anti Terrorist Squad and Police personnel. Blockades were placed on all roads leading to the Church and people were allowed entry only after being thoroughly frisked.
A female relative of the Minister was over heard saying, "this heavy security today is for themselves, (pointing to Prime Minister Gilani and Rehman Malik). Had it been provided to Shahbaz he would still have been with us." Armed officers took up positions on the rooftops of nearby buildings ahead of the mass. Police and paramilitary forces prevented vehicles from approaching the Lady Fatima Church.
A large number of people including the law-makers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), civil society activists and members of Christian community were not allowed to enter the Church premises when service started, which resulted in protests outside the church. Charged Christian community members were chanting slogans outside the church and many women tried to cross the gates of the church to take part in the service.
"It is sad and pathetic that we are not being allowed to enter the church to take part in the funeral service of our slain brother", said Senator Tahir Mushahdi, MQM lawmaker, while talking to media outside the church. He said that his party advocates the rights of minorities but they were not allowed to take part in funeral service of Minority Affairs Minister.
When asked if he would move a privilege motion on the incident Mashahdi said, "Unfortunately, I am chairman of the privilege committee and I cannot move any motion, but other parliamentarians accompanying me would do this". The emotionally charged Christian youths, women and men demanded from all the minority law-makers to tender their resignations in protest and to highlight the suppression of religious minorities in Pakistan.
Government should take appropriate measures to bring those responsible for the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti to justice to prove that it is sincere in safeguarding the rights of minorities, said Sohail Shahbaz, Secretary Pakistan Council of Churches, while talking to Business Recorder during a protest demonstration outside Khatoon e Fatima (Lady Fatima) church.
Bishop Rofin and Father Reverend Ishfaq Mazhar while talking to this scribe said that Christians do not believe in revenge and as per teachings of Jesus Christ they will remain calm. But, they added that it is the responsibility of the state to provide security to every citizen irrespective of cast, colour and religion. "It is imperative to expose the assassins to assuage the emotions of the Christians", they added. Nathan, a student of International Relations at Quaid e Azam University stated that Christians and other religious minorities have no rights in this country, and urged the government to expose the people behind Bhatti's assassination and give them exemplary punishment.
Comments
Comments are closed.