By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) - A Pakistani pastor and his family have fled their home in Pakistan after Muslim shooters killed his sister and her husband, missionaries said.
The April 11 killings followed death threats Pastor Adam received for his work among Christians from a Muslim background, according to Christians familiar with the case.
Adam helped extend safe houses for persecuted Christians from Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. The shelters are run by U.S.-based Forgotten Missionaries International (FMI), supporting native missionaries and church planters.
Attackers opposing his work reportedly broke into the house where Adam and his wife lived along with several of their adult children, their spouses, and other family members.
The shooters killed Adam’s sister and her husband in the first bedroom they came across, according to missionaries familiar with the situation.
FMI representative Bruce Allen said Islamic tensions run high during Ramadan, but the Muslim holiday may have prevented more killings. “They [Muslims] sleep during the day, so it’s much easier to fast during daylight hours,” he told Mission Network News radio.
NIGHTTIME ATTACK
“They are awake at night, so essentially, nighttime is a party time. [That means] there were people from the neighborhood out in the streets, or at least awake at the time” of the shootings. “Their neighbors’ movements caused the perpetrators to reevaluate if they wanted to do this in the middle of the night. So they fled the scene.”
Adam, whose family name and location weren’t identified amid security concerns, and his family have fled to another city, FMI said. They could not return to bury the bodies or retrieve belongings, Christians said.
Allen made clear he remains concerned about their whereabouts. “They’re in an area now where their tribal language is not the language that is predominantly spoken. Urdu, the national language, is spoken in this new area. While they understand it, it’s not their native tongue,” he added.
It was not immediately clear when Pastor Adan would continue with FMI’s safehouse network in Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Because of the [Islamic group] Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, there are so many persecuted Christians in this area of the world now,” Allen stressed.
“Pastor Adam was one of the major forces in helping with this expansion, setting up the new facilities. He also disciplined 70 men regularly. He leads a church,” he added.
Missionaries urged prayers for “God to strengthen and comfort the family.” The killings come amid broader concerns about Islamic attacks against minority Christians in Muslim-majority Pakistan.