[World Council of Churches] Church leaders in Pakistan are calling for international solidarity and for measures to ensure the safety and security of Christians in Pakistan. Their messages come in the wake of church burnings in the city of Jaranwala, in eastern Pakistan, where 24 churches have been burned, affecting at least 600 families.

Bishop Azad Marshal, moderator of the Church of Pakistan, commented in social media, “Words fail me as I write this. We, bishops, priests and lay people, are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated, and Christians have been tortured and harassed having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran.”

He added “We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom.”

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