Three Christians were shot and wounded in a Christmas Day gun attack on the home of a pastor and televangelist in Lahore, Pakistan, sources said.
Following a Christmas Eve confrontation in which Pastor Shahzad Siddique tried to stop Muslims from harassing guests, more than a dozen gunmen the next day opened fire on Christians at a gathering outside his home in Lahore's Maryam Colony, said Siddique, a Pentecostal preacher on satellite television channel Praise TV.
"I had just returned home from my church and was resting when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire outside my house," Sidique told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
He called a police helpline, and an assistant sub-inspector and another officer arrived within 25 minutes; at the same time, some church members arrived for the planned Christmas festivities, he said.
"I was briefing the policemen about the firing incident when, all of a sudden, youths riding motorcycles came there and opened indiscriminate fire on us," Siddique said. "Unfortunately, three people – my uncle, driver and a church member – received bullet injuries on the arm, stomach, and leg. We were able to catch one attacker while the others fled on foot, leaving behind five motorcycles."
Two of the three male church members wounded, Pastor Siddique's uncle Arif Masih and driver Adnan Pervaiz, were out of danger, but the third Christian, Akash Patras, remained in serious condition with a wounded abdomen, the pastor said. Police have arrested five suspects and were raiding sites to apprehend other assailants, he said.
"I believed that this country was safe for us, but now I'm forced to admit that it isn't safe to be a Christian in Pakistan," Pastor Siddique told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "I've always preached peace and tolerance, but this unprovoked attack has shown that extremist elements do not want a peaceful society."
Nasir Jameel, a neighbor of Pastor Siddique and member of his church, said the attack resulted from a minor altercation on Christmas Eve.
"Pastor Siddique was leading a rally comprising church members including young girls and women on Dec. 24 when a group of local Muslims riding a car started misbehaving with the participants," Jameel told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "Pastor Siddique and other elders confronted the Muslims and told them not to tease the congregants. This must have stoked anger in the Muslims and led them to plan the attack."
Shehrbano Naqvi, assistant superintendent of Police Defense Circle, said officers were making efforts to arrest all assailants.
"We will ensure that all those involved in this incident will be arrested and punished," she said, confirming the arrest of the five suspects. "We have also deployed police security in the area to protect the Christian residents."
Joseph Jansen of rights group Voice for Justice termed the attack on Pastor Siddique's home as "deeply troubling and unacceptable."
"This act of violence, driven by religious hatred, highlights a grave issue of intolerance and discrimination," Jansen said. "The government of Pakistan must act decisively to hold accountable those inciting such hatred and attacking individuals and places of worship."
Jansen expressed concern over a persistent culture of impunity in Pakistan that leaves religious minorities in constant fear of violence.
"Inaction against perpetrators has allowed extremist forces to thrive unchecked, further exacerbating the threat to vulnerable communities," Jansen told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "Pakistan's failure to safeguard minority rights and prevent religious based violence also undermines its international commitments."
Pastor Siddique called on officials to arrest all of the attackers and ensure that they are punished in accordance with the law.
"I also appeal the government to ensure the security of our community," he said.
Violence against Christians in Pakistan has escalated in the recent years. On Aug. 16, 2023, a Muslim mob attacked Christian neighborhoods in Jaranwala Tehsil, Punjab Province, torching multiple churches and homes of Christians after two Christian men were accused of writing blasphemous content and desecrating the Quran.
Of the more than 300 people arrested for the violence, only one is still in jail, with the rest walking free on bail due to defective police investigation, rights advocates say.
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
