Special representative on religious harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi visited Peshawar and met with bereaved family
Haqnawaz’shinwari
PESHAWAR
Christian priest William Siraj, who was shot dead by unknown attackers on Sunday, was laid to rest in the provincial capital here on Monday.
Hundreds of mourners gathered on Monday in the Kohati-Church, in Peshawar, for the funeral mass held under tight security measures.
William Siraj, a resident of Kohati gate, was a retired schoolteacher and priest at a church in the Chamkani area. He was going back home after service when he was shot dead near Madina Market.
During the incident Willeam died on the spot and his friend sustained minor injuries.
Special representative on religious harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi also visited Peshawar and met with bereaved family in St. Michael Catholic Church in Peshawar Cantt.
Addressing a press conference, Maulana Tahir Ashrafi said that in the war on terror, people of all faiths, including clerics, pastors, and bishops have made sacrifices, adding that attack on the priest was regrettable and government was trying its level best to arrest those involved in heinous crime.
Maulana said that it was a time that no one was ready to talk about or raise voice for the minority in the country but all have changed, adding that Pakistan ensure complete safety to all members of the minorities. The attack on the Christian priest in Peshawar aimed at discrediting Pakistan in the world, he added.
