ISLAMABAD, March 18 (PNS): Federal Law Minister Dr Khalid Ranja while strongly condemning the terrorist attack on Church, in which at least 5 persons were killed, hinted at involvement of neighboring country in order to sabotage the Pak-US friendly relations. Talking to reporters here, the minister termed the incident as terrorist outrage saying there were strong indications that Indian intelligence agencies carried out the attack, as India did not want to see peace and stability in Pakistan and growing Pak-US ties after September 11 attacks.
India has always sponsored such terrorist attacks on minorities in past and even International Media has recognized it. One such example is of Kashmiri Sikh massacre stage managed by Indian Govt: BBC - Click here to read about it.
He observed that attack was a conspiracy against Pakistan to fail its realistic and firm stance against terrorists and extremists, which gained tremendous backing from all corners of the world. However, he reiterated his government resolve that these incidents would not deter Pakistan in its ongoing efforts to root out the menace of terrorism from the society in all its forms and manifestations.
The minister said that investigation process had started to bring the perpetrators of this incident to justice on emergency basis.
Attack on a Protestant church in Islamabad - 5 dead
ISLAMABAD Mar 17 (PNS): Five people dead including two Americans and more than 40 are injured when reportedly few men entered the church located near 300 meters from US Embassay in Islamabad, and threw six hand grenades and then fled in a vehicle," SSP Islamabad Nasir Khan Durnai told reporters. He said that two grenades out of six remain unexploded and have already been sent to the lab for further investigation.
Meanwhile, Federal Law Minister of Pakistan Mr. Khalid Ranjha told reporters that possibility of external hands can't be ruled out and we are doing thorough investigations.
Indian Raw Planning a big game - PNS Exclusive on March 9th, 2002
Police cars, ambulances and fire trucks with sirens blaring were heard racing towards the Church in the diplomatic enclave. Normally foreign diplomats goto this Church in Islamabad.
Last week Pakistan police in an encounter had shot down the most wanted terrorist, who was involved in an attack on a church last year on October 28th, 2001 in the Southern town of Pakistan, Bahawalpur, in which 16 People had died. The attack was planned by one of the banned extremist organization in Pakistan now supported by Indian RAW, to launch terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
One of the officials of interior minister told PNS that during Islamic month of Muharram, in which Shiite Muslim commemorate the martyr of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh), is not liked by the extremist militant groups of another sect in Pakistan. India always exploit this as an opportunity to destablize Pakistan by supporting such extremist groups to further aggravate hatred and violence in Pakistan every year. Therefore, majority of our security agencies are focused in protecting mosques and imam bargahs during this Islamic month to keep harmony among different sects. But this is the first time when a church was attacked in the Islamic month of Muharram.
Earlier security agencies in Pakistan had already warned authorities to remain on high alert. In wake of sectarian violence in the Indian state of Gujrat, Indian secret agency RAW was planning to divert the tension of world media on Pakistan and planning a terrorist activity inside Pakistan.
PNS had already ran an exclusive story about it on March 9th, 2002.