Services held in memory of priest slain in Peshawar

Services were held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Karachi on Thursday in memory of Pastor William Siraj, who was killed in an attack in Peshawar on Sunday.

The Diocese of Karachi & Balochistan, Church of Pakistan organised the services to demonstrate solidarity with the bereaved family. A large number of people attended the ceremony. Gunmen had opened fire on lay pastors Siraj and Patrick Naeem, leaving Siraj dead and Naeem injured, as their assailants made a miraculous escape. Associated with the Diocese of Peshawar, the pastors had been on their way home after the Sunday service.

Bishop Frederick John and other religious leaders paid tributes to Siraj on Thursday for his services for the community, and condemned the attack on the priests. They also asked the Pakistan government to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief, particularly for the religious minorities in the country. John demanded that the government arrest the culprits involved in the priest’s murder and bring them to justice at the earliest.