BPCA delivers food packages to dispossessed families of Badami Bagh

BPCA volunteers joined Shamim Masih to deliver food packages every tent in St Joseph's colony.

ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN (Shamim Masih): 

The BPCA met with the dispossessed Christians of St Joseph's colony to deliver food and encourage victims of the incident.

My fellow Christian Journalists, Tariq Chaman, editor daily Punjab Express and Imtiaz Chughtai volunteered to join me in providing help to this innocent community and in sharing news of their suffering.  Mr. Yasoob Bhatti from Lahore prepared the food to deliver to residents before we left, as cooking utensils and facilities are not available to all the affected people yet.  

We reached there at 1800 hours and Mr. Yasoob Bhatti, with his team were waiting for us. His team members include Zeeshan Bhatti, Ejaz Khokhar Lads, Sagar Javed, Sarang Javed, and Shiraz Bhatti. 

As soon as we reached there, we went to Sawan’s family tent. There we found his mother, Bilo and his sister Bushra and a brother.  We started off our mission with some prayer for the Blasphemy victims family. We ensured that people could see that we started off the distribution from this tent as we wanted to ensure people understood that this family is not to blame for the situation.  So far the community have been very respectful and caring towards the family and no disputes have occurred nor blame laid on Sawan.

We found that more than 178 families were settled down in tents in different streets. They are all scattered in different areas and though we usually set up one base and distribute our aid from there, we we decided to visit each resident in their individual tents. More than 200 food packets were distributed among the needy people of Badami Bagh.

Bushra bibi, sister of Sawan Masih (accused of blasphemy case) said;  

"Thank you for the  food packages, we have been hungry and have no sources of income, as our men are to scared to go to work, where they will be threatened."  She added; 

"we want to see our brother, who is alone in the jail and nobody is taking care of his case. I have heard a cleric say that they (Muslims) will hang him." 

Naila bibi, a young lady, was very happy when she received her food packet and said;

"We have been here in tents and very few people have reached to us. I request my Christians around the world to step in to help us in restoration."

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Sardar Masih, father of five young children, said;

"It’s hard to survive in this sort of situation, but we are here and now our future generation is suffering from cruelty from our Muslim Neighbours" 

There is a desperate need for cooking utensils and equipment, families also require proper bedding, a source of clean water and some temporary maintained toilet facilities.  Families seek prayer and have no church building to worship in, they are seeking a  large tent for church services.  We pray that God will provide for the needs of this innocent community.

A prayer was held at Sawan's family home before the distribution.

Families live in tiny tents with no privacy or toilet facilities since the attack.

Christians who lived in abject poverty but held pride in their small homes, are now sleeping in tents

The volunteers who joined shamim in supporting victims of Badami Bagh.

Food packages were provided to every individual in the community.

Young and old were visited.

Shamim and the volunteers worked all night.

Young children suffering for no fault of their own caused great pain.

Shamim spoke of the gratefulness of those visited.

Shamim left our banner in a prominent position so residents know we are there to help them through this situation.  These families just need some hope.