Pakistan (MNN) — After refusing to pay a Muslim for
protection, Christian Pakistani Ayub Gill was shot eight times in the leg on
July 7, according to International Christian Concern.
During the afternoon, Gill was driving through Lahore,
Pakistan, with several relatives on his way to buy property in a nearby town. Two
men, Suqlain Shah–an ex-policeman–and Sudia, stopped Gill's car. They pulled
Gill's brother, who had been driving, out of the car at gunpoint, threatening
to kill him.
Shah then climbed into the car and shot Gill in the leg
eight times. The duo then stole $2,500 and fled the scene on a bicycle.
A few days earlier, Shah had observed Gill purchasing a vehicle for
his brother, which was the family's third vehicle. When Shah saw how many cars
they owned, he approached Gill and demanded money.
According to ICC, Shah said, "You now have three cars, so
give me $3,750. You are a wealthy Christian, so it is my right to get as much
money as I need from you. If you don't give it to me, I will kill you."
Gill is now recovering in a hospital. However, it is unclear
if he will be able to walk again.
Immediately following the shooting, Gill's brother, Babar, submitted a
report of the incident to the police. However, the police did not accept it
until five hours of delays and harassment had passed, which was partly due to Shah's
brother being a constable on the police force.
Since then, the police have still made no attempts to
prosecute the case. In fact, Gill's sister told ICC, "Suqlian is still free and
hanging around. The government has done nothing to help us, even though my brother
is a prominent businessman." She added, "We feel insecure, and our children are too
scared to go out anymore. Please help us; we need justice."
However, when ICC asked the Pakistani embassy in Washington,
D.C. about the incident, they denied any knowledge of it and claimed they
showed no religious discrimination. Yet, ICC said Pakistani police will ask for
religious affiliation with identification, even though it is not required on
report forms.
To help correct the injustice in this situation, you can
call your Pakistani embassy and ask for justice for Ayub Gill.
In the U.S. call: 202-243-6500
In Canada call: 613-238-7881
In the UK call: 0870-005-6967
To find out more about the ministry of ICC or for similar
stories, visit their Web site at persecution.org.
