Gunshots fired at Sherish and Farzana's home the two Christian sisters gang-raped in Pakistan

For more details on the two sisters please click here

By Mehwish Bhatti:

On 10th February 2015 at 17:30 two men on motorcycles stopped outside Sherish and Farzana's house, in village Chack no. 651/2, Jaranwala with a loaded repeater gun.  These men  shouted out that they  were the relatives of the boys Shahbaz, Asif and Azeem
who raped Sehrish and Farzana (more on this click here) (and here) and that the girls deserved to be raped as they were unwanted Christians in Muslim lands.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!  Please pray for the safety of this family.

They two aggressors stood outside the girls family home firing their gun in the air and shouted at the family home in an  abusive manner demanding that family drop the legal case against the rapists, who are currently incarcerated and await a trial hearing.  A threat was made that they resolve the matter as prescribed or face being killed as blasphemers.  

The younger brother of Sehrish and Farzana (12 years old) ventured out of his home to see what was happening.  On seeing the vulnerable child the gun men aimed and shot at him several times.  By the grace of God none of the bullets met their target as he escaped injury by taking refuge in their home.  

The fired at the wooden door  to the family home in an attempt to frighten them.  Praying on their knees the family sought solace and peace and asked for God'd protection.  As if in answer to their prayers the two gunmen left after a further 20 minutes of hollering abuse, much of it targeting the two girls, intimating that they would be subjected to a similar rape attack if the family remain in Muslim lands. As the two men left the family contacted the local Church Pastor Babu Pervaiz.

Pastor Babu Pervaiz took the family to his residence in Jaranwala main city, for safe refuge and the family is still residing there. Early the next morning he contacted a lawyer and has asked local police at Lundianwala Constabulary to file an urgent FIR against the attackers,
who are known. 

Pastor Babu Pervaiz has retained the shells of the bullets fired at the wooden door of the family home.

Sherish, one of the rape victims, said;

"I am too afraid to go back home. This was once my local community but all I have now is bad memories."

Father of the girls Ilyas Masih, wept as he said;

"I wish never go back. We already paid a big cost of my daughters honour, we can't afford the loss of any family member now."

I informed our Chairman Wilson Chowdhry of the attack on the girls at 7am GMT, Wednesday 11th February.  Mr Chowdhry sent a message through to the High Commission and believes they will respond positively.  He said;

"I am devastated by this further attack on this family.  The brutal attack on the girls was abhorrent and vile and this further retaliation for the justice sought, indicates the low moral code held by the perpetrators of violence.  We have contacted the Pakistan High Commission and hope that swift and strong action will set a new precedent – one that will see the rule of law established in this broken community, restoring peace." 

This family have shown phenomenal fortitude through an extremely vicious and brutal attack, and have now had to face this near death experience.  The Church does not have funds to support the family permanently and the BPCA have agreed to raise funds for the upkeep of the family.  We thought we had saved them from the constant threats from within their community by building them a bathroom, which reduced their need to go into unsafe areas (click here). However, it would seem that the animosity towards Christians in Pakistan is reaching a nadir.

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