GUJRANWALA, Jan 18: The Christians have strongly condemned the attack on a church in Karachi in which some dozen innocent people, including policemen, had sustained injuries.

Speaking at a meeting held here on Sunday, Christian leaders Ijaz Akhter, Azmat Bhatti, Dr Mushtaq Shahzad, Dr Younas, Siraj Bhatti and minority councillors demanded that the terrorists involved in the attack should be traced out and punished.

They called upon the government to take solid steps for the security of the worship places of the minorities. They said that minorities in Pakistan were patriot and could not tolerate any conspiracy against the country.

Meanwhile, the Muttahida Christian Council also condemned explosions in Karachi and termed the attacks on worship places a conspiracy against the Muslims and the Christians.MCC president Khalid Mahmood demanded that the Christian community should be provided security and protection.

ARRESTED: The National Highway and Motorway Police on Sunday night arrested five members of an inter-district gang of dacoits after a brief encounter on the GT Road near Ajnala Kalan village.

An NH&MP patrolling party, including inspectors Asad Abbas Shah, Abdul Rehman and SIs Tahir Rashid, Ahmad Bajwa and Rifaqat Gillani, spotted some suspects on a loader (Karachi-2902). The policemen intercepted their vehicle and tried to search them, but the outlaws opened fire on them which was returned. However, no one hurt in the firing.

In the meantime, the Ghakkhar police along with Elite Force reached there. At this, the outlaws became jittery and tried to beat a retreat under the cover of darkness. However, police succeeded in arresting five outlaws while their three accomplices turned tail and escaped. The police also recovered a huge quantity of illicit arms and eight cattle. The arrested outlaws were wanted to police in dozens of cases of dacoity, robbery and other heinous crime.

The NH&MP Kharian-Lahore sector incharge, SSP Sardar Saeed Gul, announced cash prizes and commendation certificates for the police party.