A large number of Christians on Friday staged a protest demonstration and blocked Multan-Lahore highway to condemn the demolition of a 100-year old church, located in the premises of a Fertiliser factory. Heavy police contingent was called, which dispersed the protestors.
Multan DCO Iftikhar Babur said, the Pak-Arab Fertilisers management claimed as they had pulled down the old church with the consent of local Christians. "However, we are investigating the matter closely."
Naveed Akhtar Jeeva MPA and a leader of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) alleged that the factory management got thumb impressions on the blank papers from the illiterate people and now it was claiming that it had got approval from the Christian minority to demolish the historical church.
A priest Talib Masih said the district administration and Pak-Arab Fertilisers Factory management demolished the church, which was constructed 100 years ago.
He said, after the privatisation of the Pak-Arab Fertilisers Factory, it was purchased by Reliance & Fatima group of industries headed by Mian Faisal Mukhtar, City District Nazim.