LAHORE – Gunmen shot a woman Christian charity worker from Sweden in Pakistan on Monday, leaving her hospitalised, police said. The motive behind the drive-by shooting is unclear since the Swedish national was battling for her life in hospital.
Investigators said that 70-year-old Sister Bargeeta MB came under attack outside her residence in Model Town. The foreigner was rushed to Jinnah hospital.
Local residents told the police that Bargeeta, said to be Managing Director of Full Gospel Assemblies of Pakistan (FGA Church), was sitting on the driving seat when she was hit by a bullet in the neck. Police said the Swede had left FGA-Church in the afternoon and arrived at her resident when she was shot at.
“She is still lying unconscious in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Jinnah Hospital. We are investigating the attempt murder assault keeping in view all aspects of the happening,” Investigations SP Ijaz Shafi Dogar told The Nation.
The woman has reportedly been living in Pakistan for the past 35 years. Currently she was working with FGA (Church) in Bahar Colony Kot Lakhpat. FGA works in Pakistan to protect Christians and to promote Christian values, a police officer said. Hospital sources said that she started recovering after her successful surgery.
“No one witnessed the shooting. The police are investigating with no clue and no solid information what happened at the crime scene,” Muhammad Ashraf, duty-officer at Model Town police station said.
Reportedly, a few Christian religious leaders associated with Full Gospel Assemblies Church Pakistan (FGA), which is the oldest and mother church from all Pentecostal churches movements in Pakistan, had been receiving life threats. The police are yet to ascertain if the woman had been threatened.
Christian rights activists have strongly condemned the assault saying that Sister Bargeeta was a non-political personality and had been teaching in Lahore for the last couple of decades.  The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said the attack on Sister Bargeeta was extremely deplorable and condemnable.