St. Thomas’ Church, Wah Cantt
St. Thomas’ Church, Wah Cantt is a Catholic church located about 50 km from Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
The church was attacked by a group of armed men on 28 March 2011 which resulted in damages. About 6.30 pm six armed men broke into the Church's courtyard, throwing rocks and trying to force open the church door. An attendant alerted the parish priest and the police. The attackers, who were not able to force the door, instead tried to set it on fire and then fled. The parish priest at the time was Fr Yusaf Amanat.
The bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Rufin Anthony, visited the scene shortly after the incident. He met the police and asked for more protection for churches.
This is the third attack against churches in Pakistan within a week, an indication of a climate of intimidation against religious minorities. The extremists look for pretexts to attack Christians who live in a state of insecurity and fear.[1]
The area has a history of enimity between the religious groups. In 2004 the family of Tasneem Dean left the locality of Wah Cantt after an agreement between the Saint Thomas Church and the leader of the Central Lala Rukh Mosque. A Catholic family had been threatened that their house would be burnt.[2]