Residents of a village in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province have "socially boycotted" Christians in the area after a married Muslim girl eloped with a boy from the minority community, a media report said on Wednesday.
No shopkeeper in Kot Lakha Singh village of Narowal district deals with Christians, who are also not allowed to step into the fields in the village, 'Daily Times' reported.
The boycott was enforced on the instructions of the village 'panchayat' or local council to pressurise Christians to withdraw a case against a group of villagers who allegedly desecrated a church and beat up women from the minority community, it said.
The Muslim girl eloped with the Christian boy about six months ago, according to the paper.
On January 14, around 30 people attacked a church in the area, broke the furniture inside and abducted four Christian women, the report said. A case was registered against them two days later.
Local Station House Officer Mahmood Khan said no arrest had so far been made in connection with the incident. Other officials said police is conducting an investigation into the matter.
Christians constitute the largest religious minority in Muslim-majority Pakistan, accounting for about 1.1 per cent of the total population of over 160 million.
{{/usCountry}}Christians constitute the largest religious minority in Muslim-majority Pakistan, accounting for about 1.1 per cent of the total population of over 160 million.
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