» 01/26/2012 09:56 PAKISTAN Multan, a missionary priest arrested for "illegal residency" by Shafique Khokhar Fr. Christi Silva, OMI, was a missionary in Pakistan for eight years. The police stopped him because his visa had expired. He had applied for renewal and was awaiting a response. Yesterday the judge set the terms for his bail; today in the day, unless there are further complications his release is expected.
Multan (AsiaNews) - Pakistani authorities have arrested Fr. Christi Silva, Director of Formation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), for "illegal residence" in Multan, Punjab province. The arrest took place yesterday. The previous day, Tuesday, Jan. 24, police detained the priest and opened an investigation against him - FIR, First Information Report - in accordance with sections 13 and 14 of the Aliens Act of 1946. He was held for the entire day at the police station in Muzaffarabad, his arrest was formalized and a judge fixed his bail terms.
Local sources tell AsiaNews that on the morning of January 24 the police arrived at Mary Church, to meet Father Christi and inform him that his visa had expired on June 22 last. In response, the Catholic missionary said he had already submitted an application for its renewal. At this point the officers asked the priest to report to the police station with all of his documents. Along with Fr. Akmal, the priest Omi went to station and presented all of the papers relating to his visa, including his renewal request. The police, witnesses said, threw the priest in jail without even looking at the documents, opening an FIR for "illegal residency".
The missionary’s arrest appears to be the result of a decision issued by Punjab police chief Javed Iqbal to all police districts in the province. He ordered the arrest and expulsion all "illegal immigrants" whose visas have expired but who have not left Multan. The Police Chiefs order, well-informed sources explain, is a consequence of the seizure - on January 19 – of two aid workers from a German NGO, the Italian Giovanni Lo Porto, 36, and his Dutch colleague Bernd Johannes, 45. There has been no information on their kidnap and the police investigation has not yielded any results. The police chief has issued an order which, to "protect" foreigners operating in the area, decrees their "expulsion".
Fr. Christi Silva is a missionary from Sri Lanka, who has been in the service of the Diocese of Multan for over 8 years. He requested his visa renewal last May and is still awaiting response from the authorities. It may take up to 12 months entire process to be completed. Bishop Andrew Francis, Bishop of Multan, has appealed to the authorities protesting against the detention of the priest and demanded his immediate release on bail. Yesterday the preliminary hearing took place, if there are no further complications, the priest should be released later today.
