Pakistan

Some of the world’s most widely-known cases of anti-Christian pressure and violence have arisen in Pakistan, a country whose founder promoted religious freedom. Asia Bibi’s case prompted international condemnation of Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws but there are still dozens of Christians and others on death row for blasphemy. Meanwhile, several churches and Christian colonies have been attacked by Islamists in recent years, leading to the loss of many lives. Although Christians are around 2% of the population, they make up about 80% of the workforce dealing with waste management (sewerage and street-cleaning). World Watch Monitor’s journalism brought changes in employment legislation in Punjab for such ‘sweepers’ in September 2015. `

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Pakistan medical superintendent ‘orders Christian staff to recite Quran’

May 15, 2017 Blasphemy, Lahore, Quran

An investigation was launched into the misconduct of the Medical Superintendent. Staff, including medical staff, want to see him being removed.

The medical superintendent of a hospital in Pakistan has been accused of forcing its Christian staff to memorise Quranic verses. Article 20 of the Pakistan Constitution guarantees that no-one can be forced into any religious practice or belief against his/her own faith. Dr. Muhammad Sarfaraz was appointed Medical Superintendent of […]

Pakistan releases IS-linked woman who planned Easter suicide attack

May 10, 2017 Islamic State, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Lahore, Mardan, Multan, Pakistan, Youhanabad

Pakistani Christians have expressed dismay at a decision by the authorities to quietly release a woman who was planning to carry out a suicide bomb attack in a church in the city of Lahore over the Easter weekend. Pakistan’s army chief spokesman, Major-General Asif Ghafoor, said that Noreen Leghari, 19, […]

Islamic leader calls for prompt execution of Asia Bibi

April 20, 2017 Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Sunni Tehreek

A Muslim cleric in Pakistan has renewed calls for the hanging of Asia Bibi, the Christian woman who has spent seven years on death row, having been convicted of committing blasphemy. Mufti Muhammad Haneef Qureshi said the State’s failure to punish Bibi’s alleged blasphemy caused the death last week of […]

Who speaks for Islam in Pakistan – and where does that leave non-Muslims?

April 19, 2017 Asia Bibi, Barelvi, Blasphemy, Deobandi, Islamic extremism, Mumtaz Qadri, Pakistan Muslim League, Salmaan Taseer, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Taliban

Last week, a Muslim student was killed by a mob after posting allegedly “blasphemous” content on social media. His murder was the latest in a long line of religiously motivated attacks in Pakistan, many of which were inspired by the country’s strict blasphemy laws. Below, World Watch Monitor takes a look at […]

‘Blasphemy’ leads to another murder in Pakistan

April 19, 2017 Asia Bibi, Mardan, Nawaz Sharif

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has urged his countrymen to collectively condemn the lynching of a Muslim student killed for allegedly posting “blasphemous” content on Facebook. Mashal Khan, 23, was reportedly “stripped, beaten, shot, and thrown from the second floor” of the Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, northern Pakistan, […]

Pakistan prevents another Easter attack on its Christians

April 18, 2017 Easter, Islamic State, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Lahore, Peshawar, Taliban, Youhanabad

Pakistan’s security forces say they prevented a “major” terror attack on Christians in Lahore over the Easter weekend. The city of Lahore, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was the scene of a deadly suicide bomb attack on Easter Day last year, when 75 people were killed and 340 injured. A splinter […]

Why were Pakistani politicians considering giving higher marks to veiled female students?

April 7, 2017 Hijab, Imran Khan, Islamic extremism, PTI

The commotion around whether girls should wear a hijab' in schools, shows the confusion around the role of religion in Pakistan's public life.

The role of Islam in Pakistani public life is fiercely fought over, especially in areas that are home to non-Muslim communities. One example is Punjab province, where most Pakistani Christians, as well as much of Pakistan’s Hindu minority, live. Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani was last month […]

Pakistani prosecutor to Christians: ‘I’ll acquit you if you convert to Islam’

April 4, 2017 Converts, Lahore, Youhanabad

The father of one of 42 Pakistanis – who are on trial for lynching two men they suspected of the double bombing of neighbouring churches in March 2015 – has confirmed that the public prosecutor offered to acquit all the suspects if they were to convert to Islam. Two churches […]

Pakistani Christians call for ‘fair’ blasphemy inquiries

March 30, 2017 Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Human rights, Minorities, Pakistan, Quran

Christians call for fairer treatment in blasphemy inquiries, like the case of Asia Bibi.

Pakistani Christians are calling for fairer investigations into alleged blasphemy cases, after a Muslim man caught burning pages of the Quran was quickly acquitted, UCANews reports. After the man was beaten up and handed over to the authorities, the police found that he had been ‘mentally instable’ when he caused […]

Pakistan government to Facebook, Twitter: Remove insults to Islam

March 17, 2017 Blasphemy, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Nabeel Masih, Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League

A Pakistani government minister has asked Facebook and Twitter to remove content considered insulting to Islam or Muhammad. “We will go to any extent even if we have to go to the extent of permanently blocking all such social media websites, if they refuse to cooperate,” Interior Minister Nisar […]

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