The blaze destroyed the church altar, a cupboard containing Bibles and other Christian books, two air conditioning units and furniture, among other items, said the Rev. Samuel Massey of Gulberg Presbyterian Church in Lahore.

Efforts were underway to make the building for the church of 60 families soundproof for Christmas celebrations, as Muslims in the area had complained that the sound system was too loud. A church elder opened the church building at 9:30 a.m. on 16 November, and 20 minutes after he left to meet a nearby carpenter, he learned that someone had set the structure on fire, Pastor Massey said.

“The fire was not accidental, nor had it erupted due to a short circuit,” the pastor told Morning Star News. “We suspect that someone entered the church when Elder Zubair went to meet the carpenter. The intruders locked the main gate from the outside after committing the crime, and passersby and neighbours had to break open the padlock when they saw smoke billowing out of the church building,” – he concluded.

Source: christianpost.com