Gunmen killed a Christian priest and wounded another as the clerics drove home from church in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday, police said.
Two attackers on a motorcycle opened fire on the car on the city's ring-road, killing Pastor William Siraj instantly, officers added.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting in a city where scores of people died in a twin suicide bombing outside a church in 2013 -- one of the deadliest attacks on Pakistan's Christian minority.
Azad Marshall, the most senior bishop in the Church of Pakistan, condemned the attack and tweeted: "We demand justice and protection of Christians from the Government of Pakistan."
Pakistan's northwestern areas bordering Afghanistan have seen a rise in militant attacks on security forces in recent days, many of them claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group which associates itself with the Afghan Taliban.
TV footage showed emergency services removing Siraj from the car, and people chanting "Long live Jesus Christ" as they carried his body on a bed through the streets to a house. Mourners hugged each other and sobbed.
Pastor Siraj's colleague -- named by Bishop Azad as the Reverend Patrick Naeem -- was out of danger and being treated for his injuries, a spokesman for the city's Lady Reading hospital said.
Bishop Azad said both were clergy of the Diocese of Peshawar in the Church of Pakistan, which is a union of protestant churches including the Methodists and the Anglicans.
Latest Stories
-
Where hope fails: Ghana’s decaying home for the destitute
55 seconds -
NDC Mining Committee for 2024 campaign refutes allegations of recruiting thugs for elections
11 mins -
Traction Control: A lifesaver with an off switch? Here’s why it exists
15 mins -
I don’t need anyman to woo me with money – Miss Malaika 2024 winner refutes pimping claims
22 mins -
”Kurt Okraku sabotaged my national team career because I refused to sign with Dreams FC” – Najeeb Yakubu
22 mins -
Businesses urged to leverage Generative AI for enhanced customer engagement
26 mins -
MultiChoice Ghana partners with Ghana Hotels Association to elevate guest entertainment
35 mins -
Bawumia’s music streaming app or Mahama’s pay-per-view TV channel?
40 mins -
Karpowership Ghana empowers 40 Takoradi Technical University students with scholarship
42 mins -
We expect significant reduction in prices of petroleum products in coming weeks – CEO AOMC
55 mins -
Betway Africa offers once-in-a-lifetime ‘Play-on-the-Pitch’ experience at Emirates Stadium
1 hour -
I coined the term ‘hype man’ in Ghana – Merqury Quaye
1 hour -
Vasseur questions ‘strange momentum’ of Formula One race director change
2 hours -
“I am disappointed in Kojo Manuel” – Merqury Quaye on “no tie” comment
2 hours -
Nana Kwame Bediako; The beacon of unity
2 hours