Pakistan Church condemns NATO strike

(December 05, 2011) The Catholic Church has joined protests condemning a NATO attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last month. Holding national flags and pro-Pakistani army banners, more than 50 protesters from several Catholic institutions, including two priests and 10 friars, shouted slogans, prayed and lit candles for the “faithful martyrs” at the press club in Karachi on Friday. The protest was organized by NCJP, the National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference. More than 50 protestors expressed outrage at what they called an attack on country’s sovereignty and demanded justice for the affected families. NATO helicopters attacked two Pakistan border posts on November 26, killing 24 soldiers. The attack prompted Pakistan to pull out of talks in Bonn last week to discuss neighbouring Afghanistan’s future, block NATO supply routes to the war torn country, and to demand the US leave a remote airbase used for drone flights. “It is time to take our airbases back from foreign armies. The government should press for a transparent investigation into the NATO raid,” a NCJP statement said. Father Thomas Gulfam general secretary of the Heralds of Peace, an interfaith group said they support their army and would sacrifice everything for their homeland and no longer remain silent. Father Abid Habib, president of the Major Superiors Leadership Conference of Pakistan, said that it is unacceptable that the war on terror which is not theirs has killed over 30,000 civilians.