Assassination of Pakistan official dampens Christmas spirit

December 24, 2012 - The Christian community in Peshawar, Pakistan, has warned churches to curb planned Christmas activities following the killing of a provincial government official in a Taliban suicide attack on Saturday. Bashir Bilour, the second most senior cabinet member of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was killed along with eight others by a suicide bomber. Church of Pakistan Bishop Humphrey Peters of Peshawar said the 69-year old official was close to the Church and often asked Christians to pray for him and the country amid the war on terror. “We have lost a broad-minded politician who had good relations with the minority communities in this Taliban-infested region” Bishop Peters said. The provincial government announced three days of mourning and a Christmas event at the Peshawar governor’s house has been cancelled. Bishop Peters requested all churches to turn off their outdoor lights and cancel all public parties on Christmas Eve. Pastor Ejaz Gill of the All Saints Church commended Bilour’s contributions to improving the educational and health sectors in the province, particularly his financial support for several developmental projects in mission schools and a hospital.
Bashir Bilour was one of the most outspoken critics of the Taliban in Pakistan and the highest-profile assassination victim in recent months. Christian and other minority communities in northwest Pakistan have long considered him an important political ally. His killing comes just months ahead of planned national elections. About 36,000 people have been killed by violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2001, according to local media reports. More than 1,000 schools have also been destroyed, along with an estimated 90 percent of the area’s railway infrastructure.