Government plans could aid persecutors in Pakistan

Changes to Pakistan’s Ministry for Religious
Minorities could lead to an increase in Christian persecution.

The Catholic News Agency is reporting that Pakistan’s plans to eliminate its national Ministry for Religious Minorities could lead to more persecution of Christians. The government has proposed dividing the ministry into provincial divisions.

Unless there are any last-minute movements, the “devolution” efforts will begin July 1.

A Lahore priest told Fides news agency that the proposal will obscure the rights of Christians from the national political agenda. “We will be even more helpless. For the fundamentalists this will be a 'green light' to new aggression, violence and persecution against Christians,” he said.

The present Minister of State for Minorities, Ackram Gill, is vigorously protesting the abolition. He has led a delegation in a meeting with Pakistan’s prime minister and has organized a protest outside of Parliament. Christians and Hindus, another religious minority in Pakistan, have organized press conferences and public meetings calling for reconsideration of the measure.

The full article can be read here.

To learn more about persecution in Pakistan, please visit our Country Report.