TOBA TEK SINGH, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The Christian community in one city in Pakistan today (Dec.21) held a meeting and strongly condemned extreme power outages during Christmas season.

Ashfaq Fateh, human rights activist, speaking from Toba Tek Singh, said: “The PPP government claimed to be the champion of minority’s rights and issues big statements to attract minority voters, however there is a big difference in their words and deeds.”

Fateh says that since the PPP government came into power, extreme power outages have become routine during Christmas and Easter seasons.

“Prolonged load shedding has affected Christmas celebrations, prayer meetings and day today life of Christians. Due to lack of electricity poor Christian workers do not get their wages and they are deprived of buying ration and clothes for their families,” he told ANS.

Rasheed Jalal, District President PML N (minority’s wing) said, “Every year when Christmas and Easter comes the government extends power outages, Christians across the country protest, but the government never listen to their peaceful protests.”

He added: “Christians share the equal rights in the constitution and are playing a vital role in country’s progress; however, the PPP government has adopted a discriminatory attitude with religious minorities. Minorities know whenever there are Eids and Moharam government supplies non-stop electricity, but never thought of Christians religious events.”

Youth leader Johnson Gill said, “If the government will not ensure non-stop supply of electricity, Christians will organize Christmas celebrations and prayers in front of FESCO offices in protest.”

** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter