LHC – Rwp bench seeks comments in petition against CSC

Shamim Mehmood

Rawalpindi: Its been a decade or so that I have been writing personally on the rights of the minorities especially Christians in Pakistan. And obviously many more have done this job before me. The primary aim is to raise voice for the disheartened portion of the society. During this period, I, not only criticized on the double standard of the State institutions but also mentioned the lack of the interest of the missionary institutions and social sector.
The fact is that Christian elite class including religious, social and political are not interested to resolve the problems. The Church leadership have no plan to empower youth, and few families have dominated the entire infrastructure. The Roman Catholic, Church of Pakistan and Presbyterian are considered as major churches but Pentecostal church has reasonable followings across the country.
Reportedly Church of Pakistan and Presbyterian lead remain involved in selling church properties for decades’ while emerging Pentecostal Church leadership gathered their share from foreign campaigners since last three decades. Thus it become a profitable business and nobody care about the marginalized portion. And they are still forced to live across the seasonal drainage and slum settlements.
The Bishop, the high priest which is consider the highest and respectable figure in the religion have earned a bad name in our society. And it is because of few black sheep.
The latest episode of the fraudulent group is observed when a Writ Petition filed by the Church Property Bachao Tehrik (CPBT) in the Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi bench against the unlawful activities in the Christian Study Centre (CSC), Rawalpindi. The LHC, Rawalpindi Bench while hearing a Writ Petition filed by CPBT has directed the Registrar Firms, Economic Affairs Division and others to file comments in respect of Christian Study Centre (CSC) unlawful activities.
The Christian representatives have approached the High Court filing a Petition therein stating that CSC, Rawalpindi is an organization, established to promote a better understanding of and between the faith communities, and to serve Christian Churches, individuals and institutions with similar concern, both in and outside Pakistan. With the full participation of the Roman Catholic Church, Churches now united into the Church of Pakistan and the Presbyterian Church.
The Society was founded and established by the Missionaries in 1967 and has been functioning ever since. However, in year 2012 the same was re-registered with the Office of Registrar Joint Stock Companies, Rawalpindi.
The record of the Society reveals and copy is submitted with the Writ petition that Society is blatantly violating its purpose and applicable Laws and regulations and is being fraudulently run submitting bogus documents containing forged signatures, including those having died and huge amount of Grant-in Aid is being misappropriated by the Directors, Officers and Staff of the Society submitting bogus, fake and forged signatures.
According to record appended with Petition Annual Budget of Society is over 65.3 Million and monthly income and expenses are 5.44 Million.
There are serious allegations of money laundering against Chairman of the Society Bishop Samuel Robert Azariah and Treasurer Farrukh Marvin Pervaiz, who, reportedly had been arrested in 2004 by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at Karachi, on his illegal activities, money laundering and links with terrorists involved in drug smuggling/human trafficking from Afghanistan as Farrukh Marvin Pervaiz was then the Director, Pakistan/Afghanistan of an NGO namely Church World Service, submitted in the Petitioners.
The LHC, Bench at Rawalpindi comprising Mr. Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan on 22 March 2021 after hearing Ms. Raheema Khan and Mr. Saad Satti Advocates appearing for the Petitioners has directed to Respondents Registrar Joint Stock Companies Rawalpindi and Economic Affairs Division and other Respondents to file comments before the next date of hearing.
It is worth to mention that number Church based organizations found involve in mishandling/misusing the funds across the country.
Isn’t it enough to bring shame to the Christian community in Pakistan and the world at large?