Tag: Pakistan Muslim League

Christians matter least in Pakistani politics

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Pakistan elections (Getty)
As Pakistan prepares for elections later this month, the country’s minorities – particularly its Christians – have expressed dismay at their lack of representation among the candidates. Among the thousands of candidates contesting hundreds of provincial and national constituencies across the country, not a single Christian is nominated by any . . . Read More

Pakistan: Christians told they can’t have a church in Muslim-majority village

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Pakistan: Christians told they can’t have a church in Muslim-majority village
Christians in a village in Pakistan’s Punjab province have been told to remove every visible sign of Christianity from their church, six months after being forced to sign a form pledging they would no longer hold services. The 40 Christian families in Nayya Sarabah (Chak 336) village, part of Toba . . . Read More

Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy protests showcase minorities’ plight

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In November there were widespread anti-blasphemy protests in Islamabad and other cities in reaction to proposed changes to an election law. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
Anti-blasphemy protests in Pakistan have once again highlighted the fragile position of the country’s religious minorities. Life in various parts of Pakistan virtually came to a halt on Saturday (25 November) after the police, paramilitary and other law enforcement agencies clashed with rioters in the capital, Islamabad, resulting in protests . . . Read More

70 years after Pakistan’s founding, what PM’s recent ousting means for minorities

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70th Annual General Assembly Debate Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventieth session. 30 September 2015 United Nations, New York Photo # 646792 UN Photo/Cia Pak
Pakistan celebrates its 70th birthday today (14 August). And there’s a new Prime Minister after Nawaz Sharif, founder of the largest political party, was disqualified by the apex court on 29 July on charges of not being “righteous” and “ameen”*. This Supreme Court decision about Sharif “will throw the governing . . . Read More

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

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Who speaks for Islam in Pakistan - and where does that leave non-Muslims?
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 . . . Read More

Pakistan government to Facebook, Twitter: Remove insults to Islam

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Pakistan government to Facebook, Twitter: Remove insults to Islam
­­­­­ 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 . . . Read More

Pakistan: Christian boy, 16, arrested for Kaaba ‘blasphemy’

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The boy is alleged to have "defamed" the Kaaba in Mecca
Nabeel Masih, 16, is alleged to have “defamed” the Kaaba in Mecca, the building at the centre of Islam’s most sacred mosque.Amalia Sari / Flickr / CC   A 16-year-old Christian boy has been accused of committing blasphemy by “liking” and sharing a post on Facebook which “defamed and disrespected” . . . Read More

Pakistan police deny Christian-Muslim tension after blasphemy allegation

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Pakistan police deny Christian-Muslim tension after blasphemy allegation
Imran Masih’s house in the remote village of Chak 44, Punjab, Pakistan.World Watch Monitor   Conflicting reports have emerged over Christian-Muslim tensions in a remote Pakistani village, after an illiterate Christian cleaner was accused of blasphemy. However, international media reports of a Muslim mob attacking the local Christian minority are . . . Read More

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