News Desk
Kasur, April 6, 2025:
A suspected arson attempt on the Behtania Church building in Gulshan Basti, Musharraf Colony, was foiled early Sunday morning after the church’s chief pastor, Tanveer Boota Masih, intervened upon hearing suspicious noises inside the premises.
According to Pastor Masih, who also resides on the church property, the incident occurred around 12:24 a.m. when he was alerted by an unusual sound coming from the church building. Upon investigation, he encountered two unidentified men attempting to set part of the church on fire.
“I saw two masked men — one carrying a stick with a cloth tied at the end and the other holding a bottle that smelled like kerosene oil,” Pastor Masih told The White Post.
“My eyes then caught flames rising from the curtain outside the church building. I started shouting and called my brother who lives nearby for help.”
He added that the assailants fled the scene after his cries for help, leaving behind the materials they intended to use in the attack.
The fire was eventually extinguished using a church mat by his brother, Usman Botta. During the incident, the pastor’s personal bag was found thrown on the ground, with some pages scattered. However, he clarified that the bag did not contain any religious texts or sensitive documents.
“There were no holy books or sacred religious papers in his Pastoral bag, but only had some rough pages” Pastor Masih stressed.
“It appears they either intended to rob the place or scare us.”, Pastor stated in uncertainty
The local police and emergency services responded promptly, reaching the scene within ten minutes of the incident. Pastor Masih expressed his gratitude for their swift action and urged continued support for local Christian community in the region.
“I have no known disputes or enmities,” he said. “I’ve been peacefully serving this community for over ten years. I thank God for protecting our church and my family.”
Authorities have launched an investigation, and efforts are underway to identify the suspects. No arrests have been made so far. The incident has raised concerns among the local Christian community, who have called for enhanced security and vigilance in the area.