Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rawalpindi (Agenzia Fides) – Daily incidents of violence against Christians and their institutions, rapes and torture amidst a general indifference are what sources in Pakistan, referring to recent incidents suffered by faithful in Pakistan, have relayed to Fides with great concern.
Yesterday, April 28, in Quetta (Baluchistan), a Christian citizen, Zulfiqar Gulzar, was killed by unidentified persons on the street, in the bewilderment of the local community, which now seeks light on the crime, and justice.
On the same day, in the city of Sargodha in Punjab, a 29-year-old Christian barber, Marwat Masih, was beaten by a group of conservative Muslims, who accused him of having cut off the beard of a young Muslim who had come into his shop asking him to trim it.
Also recently, in Punjab in the town of Murree, the girls' school St. Deny's Girls High School, run by the Protestant Church of Pakistan was set on fire. Investigations have indicated the responsibility of the Muslim fundamentalist groups (the so-called "Pakistani Taliban") who deny education to girls and wish to eliminate Christian social work, as seen in the attacks that occurred last March on the NGO offices of the Christian-based "World Vision" and a Salesian school in Baluchistan.
In the capital Islamabad, meanwhile, some NGOs are protesting another case of violence against a Christian girl, after the widely-publicized case of Shazia. This time, the victim is Sumera Pervaiz, a 14-year-old who worked as a maid in the house of Faheem Cheema, a commander in the Pakistani Air Force. Accused, without proof, of stealing some jewelry, Sumera was placed in isolation, beaten, and tortured for five days to extract a confession that the girl, who was innocent, did not give. She is now hospitalized and in danger of losing the use of her legs.
The Commission for Justice and Peace within the Bishops' Conference has again requested the government's attention to the frequent cases of violence and threats against the liberty and property of Christians in Pakistan.
"Episodes of violence against Christians continue to occur on a constant basis in different areas of the country. The victims are mainly from among the poor and marginalized, who live in suburbs or remote areas. But very few incidents reach the press; this is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the violence happens in silence or is met with indifference," notes Francis Mehboob Sada, Director of the Christian Study Center in Rawalpindi, in an interview with Fides. The Center works on monitoring human rights in the country . "We are concerned and we continue in our struggle for minority rights," he says.
In recent days, President Asif Ali Zardari has issued a constitutional reform package limiting his own powers and strengthening the role of parliament and the prime minister: "We hope this means more democracy in Pakistan and greater respect for human rights in the country, with benefits for religious minorities," Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha, President of the Bishops' Conference, told Fides. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 29/04/2010)
