Church leaders unite in call to keep Pakistani family in Scotland

Somer, 15, and Areeb Umeed Bakhsh, 13, face being returned from Glasgow to Pakistan, where their family fears for their safety.

A letter written by Rt Rev Susan Brown, Moderator of the General Assembly of theChurch of Scotland, asking Sajid Javid to intervene has been signed by Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh Leo Cushley and Bishop Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

John Cross, Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland, Rev Dr David Easton, chair of the Synod of the Methodist Church in Scotland, and 13 former Church of Scotland moderators have also added their names to the appeal.

They want Mr Javid to re-examine the family’s case and “recognise the Pakistan-wide threat they face”.

The boys’ father is said to have received death threats from Islamic extremists due to his Christian faith and the family fled Faisalabad in 2012.

Mrs Brown wrote: “As you will be aware, the blasphemy laws in Pakistan are such that even without substantive evidence, accusations can be made against those not of the Muslim faith.

“Petty disagreements between neighbours, for example, can result in people of another faith being accused under the law and lead to their imprisonment or being pursued with the intent to kill.

“This is precisely the reason why this faithful Christian family find themselves in Scotland.”