Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Karachi (Agenzia Fides) - A Christian businessman, family man, was killed in Karachi, the capital of Sindh province; the Hindu faithful protest and in Parliament ask, provocatively, the government "to revoke the citizenship of religious minorities": these are episodes that, as stated by Fides sources in Pakistan, show the tension and discontent of religious minorities, especially recently in the province of Sindh.
Two days ago, in Karachi, after the murder of the Protestant Pastor Jamil Sawan (see Fides 17/11/2011), a 50-year-old Christian businessman, Jamil Masih, was shot dead by two strangers with blows from a firearm while he was opening his shop in the mall "Moon", in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, the same where Pastor Sawan was killed. Jamil Masih lived in the well-known Christian colony called "Essa Nagri" (the largest in Sindh), with his wife and five children, and was socially committed to the social promotion of children and young Christians in the neighborhood. Police said the murder is probably due to a private vendetta, but "Christians are often the victims of extrajudicial executions", notes a source of Fides. Fr. Mario Rodrigues, a priest from Karachi and Director of the Pontifical Mission Society in Pakistan, explains to Fides that "in Karachi, there is strong uncertainty in everyday life, for the entire population. Minorities, are more vulnerable because they are less considered and less protected".
In Sindh, meanwhile, tension does not die down in the Hindu community after the killing of four doctors from members of a Muslim Brotherhood (see Fides 08/11/2011). The Hindu parliamentarians have raised the question in the National Assembly, asking the federal government for a rapid intervention, and stressing the urgent need to protect minorities. The Hindus have urged the government, in a provocative way, to "withdraw the citizenship to members of religious minorities" in order to certify that they are now "second-class citizens", victims of discrimination and inequality. The Minister of the Interior Rehman Malik has ensured effective action of the police, who arrested 11 alleged perpetrators of the crime.
Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani, in a message issued for the "International Day of Tolerance", celebrated worldwide on November 16, underlined that, in an effort to make Pakistan a "livable place", "there is a need to encourage harmony, commitment and inter-religious dialogue among followers of different cultures and civilizations", reaffirming "the imperative of the government to promote tolerance and respect for the faith and the rights of others". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/11/2011)
