NANKANA SAHIB - Christian community is an integral part of Pakistani society and the community people are as patriotic as any other Pakistani. Christians have played a pivotal role side-by-side their Muslim countrymen in the struggle for the creation of the country.
But they have been meted out step-motherly treatment by the Punjab government and are being treated as second or third degree citizens. The Christian community is already facing severe hardships due to unjustified attitude of the Punjab government which has been trying to snatch the right of acquiring education from the younger generation of the Christian community.
These views were expressed by numberdar Ch Ranjit Lal, Imran Julian, Imtiaz William, BK Austin and notables of Martin Pur, Youngsonabad and Young Martin Welfare Organisation while talking to the journalists. They alleged that the Punjab government had taken unlawful possession of the schools which were property of the Christian community even after the decentralisation in 1998, 2001 and 2005. They demanded that Punjab government to immediately hand over Christian Boys School, Rang Mahal, Lahore, Christian Girls High School, Haji Pura, Sialkot, Higher Secondary School, Raja Bazaar; otherwise the whole Christian community would stage a protest against it.