Christian youth stabbed to death in Lahore clash

LAHORE: A 25-year-old Christian youth, the brother of seven sisters, was stabbed to death during a clash between the members of Muslim and Christian community over the construction of a wall in the neighborhood in the Factory Area police limits on Monday.

Police have removed the body to morgue. The community members had scuffled a day earlier over the same issue in which brother of the deceased was left injured. An FIR of that violent incident had also been registered.

However, most of Lahore Police force was busy in ensuring safe conduct of PSL matches thus could not follow up the issue despite its sensitivity. According to the complainant of the FIR Akhtar Bhatti, the uncle of the deceased Pervaiz Maseeh, a group of around 200 people led by Sohni s/o Allah Ditta, Malik Billa, Sufiyan Butt and others had gathered in the street near his house in LDA quarters. They were hurling abusive language and making noise.

Bhatti claimed his nephew asked them to stop as it was a residential area. However, the suspects got annoyed over it and resorted to aerial firing. Few suspects captured Pervaiz and one of them hit him hard on the back of his head with an iron rod. The blow proved fatal leaving the victim dead in few minutes. As the news of death of the Christian youth spread into the locality, the community members rushed to the spot.

Sensing the rising of tension, heavy contingent of police including SP Cantt Essa Sukhera rushed to the spot and tried to maintain law and order and also collected forensic evidences from crime scene. Bhatti also alleged that the suspects had tortured another Christian youth named Sohal Pervaiz, the brother of the victim, a day before.

The CCPO also took notice of the incident. Police said that they have arrested a suspect and registered a murder FIR against the suspects. Further investigations into the matter are underway.