The International Christian Concern (ICC), a Washington DC-based human rights group helping persecuted Christians worldwide, has reported on a recent incident of police beating and arresting human rights activists in Pakistan. The ICC has now called on Pakistan to control its police force.

An ICC spokesperson said: "Human rights activists were planning a rally in the city of Lahore to protest the increased power and influence of Islamic ‘priests’ called Mullaism."

"However, on May 14 at 4p.m., just before the rally was to begin, police from various stations around Lahore raided the offices and charged the activists with their batons."

The spokesperson continued saying that the ensuing melee included at least 10 busloads of university students, counter-activists belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami party who joined with police in beating the gathered Christians.

"Police officers and Jamaat-e-Islami members pulled the hair of the women, dragged them down the road and stripped them of their clothes. Men involved in the rally were severely beaten and later taken to Model Town Police Station along with some women. Most of the women were transported to the Race Course Police Station for Women," said an ICC spokesperson.

"While detained, no one was allowed contact with the Christian human rights workers and no formal charges were brought against them. All of the activists were released later the same day, but it still remains unclear what provoked the violent beatings. It seems that the police had targeted the activists for their ties to Christianity, and their opposition to oppressive Mullaism that plagues Pakistan."

"International Christian Concern strongly denounces this violence and calls on Pakistan to reign in its police force. This is just the latest in a long string of violence carried out by police targeting Christians. In the past, police have arrested Christians and beaten the prisoners to death, with no charges filed," said the ICC.