ARP Church Qayyumabadاے آر پی چرچ قیوم آباد

Before coming to Qayyumabad, we used to live in PIB Colony among Muslim families. God had blessed us with two sons, and when my elder son Tony was around five or six years old, he said to me, ‘Father, we should also get a goat for Bakra Eid (Eid-ul-Azha).’ I explained to him, ‘My child, we are Christians, so we do not take part in the sacrifice or celebrate this Eid in that way.’

Later, my father came from Punjab, where he worked as a train examiner. I consulted him about whether I should buy a plot here. He advised me, ‘My child, wherever you choose to settle in life, try to find a place near a church and within a Christian community.’ My father had migrated from Amritsar as a muhajir (refugee), so he had witnessed the time of Partition. He had seen how people who once lived, played, and spent time together eventually became divided during that period of violence. He told me that during difficult times, it is hard for the police to protect a single isolated house. But when there is an entire community or a church nearby, it becomes easier and quicker for people to receive protection and support.