Author:
Publication: The Hindu
Date: October 30, 2001
Bahawalpur (Pakistan), Oct. 29.
Thousands of mourners shouted "revenge, revenge" as the bodies of the 15
Christians were brought to the church, where they were massacred a day
earlier, for funeral rites today.
Outside the St. Dominic's Church,
and around Christian monuments across Pakistan, additional police reinforcements
were deployed to protect the tiny minority after the worst single massacre
of Christians in Pakistan's 54-year history.
More than 100 activists of militant
Islamic groups were detained in overnight raids in the southern districts
of the Punjab province. The Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf,
said he had ordered a manhunt to track down the gunmen. "My Government
and law- enforcing agencies would do everything possible, so that whoever
has committed this gruesome act will be brought to book and given exemplary
punishment," he said on Sunday.
"Police reinforcements are in place
throughout the country, around churches and other places of worship of
minorities," Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, Director-General, Crisis Management
Cell, Interior Ministry, said. "We can deploy para-military troops wherever
is required like in Sindh," he added. - Reuters
