|PIC1|The Bishop of Bradford and the leadership of the Bradford Council for Mosques have expressed their “shock” and “dismay” at a recent wave of violence in Pakistan in which eight Christians were killed and dozens injured.

In addition to the killings, Christian homes and property in Gojra and Korian were set ablaze after Christians were accused of desecrating a Koran.

Bishop David James and Sher Azam of the Bradford Council for Mosques said in a joint statement that the violence in Gojra and Korian seemed “part of a pattern of escalating violence by sectarian mobs targeting vulnerable communities”.

They expressed their condolences for two West Yorkshire Asian families whose relatives were among those to be killed.

Bishop James and Mr Azam expressed their support for a local fundraising initiative that will offer practical help to the Christians who have lost their homes and property in the violence. They also announced plans to visit the victims.

"As Christian and Muslim leaders in Bradford, we are committed to the common good and equal citizenship rights for all communities, whether in the UK or in Pakistan,” they said.

Bishop James and Mr Azam have written to the Pakistan High Commissioner in London expressing their “deep anxiety” at the attacks and urging the Pakistani government to bring the perpetrators to justice. They urged the government to launch a dialogue with Christian leaders in order to reassure them that “such attacks will not be tolerated”.

"We hope that the government will offer practical help and compensation to those families who have lost homes and property,” they said.

“Such measures, cumulatively, would begin to restore the confidence of the Christian minorities that their rights of life and property which they enjoy as fellow citizens with the Muslim majority will be equally respected.”