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A Christian rights activist says he has received a threat from a banned militant group for speaking out against the public beating of a Christian woman.
“I received a threatening phone call on Monday at 11am from Akram Gujjar, a member of banned Sunni Muslim outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, warning me to desist from fighting the case of the humiliated Christian woman… and force her to reconcile with the men who had stripped her naked on the street and beaten her up,” Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra said on Monday.
The woman Sahotra is referring to is 28-year-old Elishba Bibi, who when three-months pregnant suffered a miscarriage after she was stripped naked and beaten by two Muslim brothers in Rana town’s Christian Colony in Sheikhupura district last month.
The attack took place after she got into an argument with men’s mother and sister.
Sahotra, who is also chairman of the Human Liberation Commission of Pakistan (HLCP), led a series of protests in Lahore to pressure authorities to initiate legal proceeding against the suspects.
He said police did not act promptly to apprehend the suspects, who managed to secure a pre-arrest bail.
“I was told to drop the charges or face consequences,” Sahotra told ucanews.com
“Such threats cannot intimidate me or the HCLP into silence. We will keep raising our voice until Elishba gets justice,” he said.
The HLCP has now filed a petition in a local court to cancel the bail and order the arrest of the suspects, he said, adding that the hearing would be held on December 17.
Officials of the ruling Muslim League also threatened HLCP Senior Vice-Chairman Pastor Razzak Yessu to desist from aiding in the case, he said.
Meanwhile, Lahore Church Council Bishop MM Waqas condemned the alleged threats, saying it was an attempt to impede justice.