CHRISTIANS gathered to remember the victims of the Lahore twin bomb attack at a church in Newport.

The service at New Seasons Church also heard about the ongoing persecution of Christians in Pakistan.

The twin bomb attack saw more than a dozen killed and many more injured on March 15 in Lahore.

Presided over by Bishop Winston Taylor, Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), shared his story as a reformed drug user, who turned to Christianity, and now champions the cause of Pakistani Christians.

Pastor Mehboob Ellahi, who runs an Urdu Fellowship in Newport, also prayed at the service.

Mr Chowdhry was brought up in a Christian family and his father Waheeb Chowdhry started up the first Asian Christian Church in the UK in 1969 in Dalston, London.

During his time studying a biochemistry degree at Kings College London, Wilson fell into ketamine addiction, but turned his life around with the help of religion.

Mr Chowdhry said: “Christians in Pakistan are the lowest paid and worst treated underclass – only seven per cent attain an adequate level of literacy.”

The group claims bomb attacks and frequent false accusations have let to a mass exodus of Pakistani Christians to nations such as Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia, but many continue to be persecuted.

The BPCA are opening a new school in Thailand to tackle the problem of illiteracy among the children of refugees and asylum seekers.

Bishop Taylor was moved by the message shared by Mr Chowdhry and commented on the suffering church of Pakistan.

He said: “Persecution of any type is wrong, but the manner and scale of the persecution faced by Pakistani Christians and other minorities beggars belief.

“That any supposed democratic country can leave any citizens this helpless, is indicative of poor governance.

"Our church will continue to pray for victims in Pakistan especially the Christian community who are clearly being targeted.”

For more information go online and visit britishpakistanichristians.org