Muslim extremists kill Pakistani Christian family

Muslim extremists kill Pakistani Christian family

HARIPUR, Pakistan — Islamic extremists killed a Christian lawyer, his wife and their five children in northwestern Pakistan in September for mounting a legal challenge against a Muslim who was charging a Christian exorbitant interest, local sources said.

Police found the bodies of attorney and evangelist Edwin Paul, his wife Ruby Paul and children ages 6 to 17 Sept. 28 at their home in Haripur, a small town near Abbottabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (previously known as the North-West Frontier province), according to Haripur Station House Officer Maqbool Khan. Paul had taken up the case of Robin Mehboob, a Christian taxi driver in Haripur facing a 500 percent interest on a loan from influential Muslim lender Noor Khan. Khan allegedly has been working with Islamic extremist groups to drive Christians out of the area, taking over their properties by charging exorbitant interest or leveling death threats. Noor Khan’s associates had beat Mehboob and Paul for going to the police, Mehboob said.

The Muslim extremists have also threatened many Christians with death if they do not convert, area Christians said. Paul’s Muslim neighbor, Mushtaq Khan, said that on Sept. 27 a group of armed men told Paul, “Leave the town in 24 hours. We know how to throw out Christians. We will not allow even a single Christian to live here.”