Shamim Masih writes about Islamic Supremacism once again
persecuting Christians in Pakistan by targeting unregistered Churches with
closure under the poor excuse of security.
JRH 1/20/18
*********************
KP Govt.
Closed Six Churches Amid the U.S. placing Pakistan on Special Watch List
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan (formerly NWFP)
By SHAMIM MASIH
Sent 1/19/2018 9:03 PM
ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhawa [alternate
spelling: Pakhtunkhwa] (KPK) province in Pakistan has sealed at least six Churches in district
Abbottabad in the name of security after the United States placed
Pakistan name in the Special Watch List. The officials claimed that only
non-registered churches are closed. On the other hand, the KP govt. has
announced monthly honorarium for 20, 000 Muslim
clerics in the province.
According to the details the district administration at
Abbottabad has officially ordered to close as many as six churches in the name
of security and said the churches being established in the rental houses and
non-registered are closed due to security risk. The District Police Officer
(DPO) Syed Ashfaq said in his official statement that those churches have been
sealed which had not been registered with the Auqaf Department.
According to 27th Convention of the United
Nations, Pakistan is liable to take steps for the safety, protection of
minorities and women rights and religious freedom in the country. And on January 04, 2018, the US placed Pakistan
name in the list of those countries which are alleged violating
minorities rights and religious freedom. Being on the Watch List means Pakistan
is a step away from included in the “Countries of Particular Concern”
list. The list includes “governments that
have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of
religious freedom.”
In the meantime, on January 8, 2018, KP govt. proved it that
religious minorities are not free to perform their religious services at their
homes and even cannot worship in the rental houses they live in. To a rough estimate more than 10000
Christians live in and around Hazara Division and 5000 in Abbottabad district.
And many of them are bared to perform their ceremonial and routine religious
services.
Meanwhile, the Christian community across the country have
termed the move as unjustified. Father Arshad Nayer, the local priest from
Roman Catholic denomination said, “it would give a bad
message if the government continued to seal worship places of religious
minorities over minor issues.” Instead of providing security to the said
churches the administration is on to close them, and it is violation of
religious freedom. The poor Christians do not have enough resources to
construct independent new church buildings, he added.
Pastor Christopher Shakar, one victim [of a closed Church
– perhaps], said that his father Akram Shakar has started the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church
(EPC) in 1985, and now he has taken this responsibility for seven years. On the
celebration of the Christmas, the district administration has interrupted during
the sermon and asked to close the service. This is violation of religious
freedom given in the constitution of country. Another church, Assemblies of God
has been established some 50 years back and now Pastor in charge Saleem Ghori
is running it in his own house is also closed under the said so called security
risk.
Chairman Community Development Foundation (CDF) Basharat
Khokher strongly condemned the move by the KP govt. and termed it prejudicial
behavior toward religious minorities in Pakistan. Talking on religious freedom,
he said that the step taken by KP govt. is discriminatory and biased; the KP
government is paying billions of rupees to Muslim clerics in the province and
shutting down Christian worship places. From this move, it clearly shows that
there is no religious freedom in the country and government imposed restriction
and tries to snub the rights of minorities.
When asked Shireen Mazari, a senior Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI)
leader and member parliament, she said PTI is very clear in giving rights to
minorities and not in the favor of closing any worship places. PTI central
secretariat has sought written reply from CM KP Parvez Khattak on the matter of
closure of 6 churches in Abbottabad district. The CM has been asked to explain
the causes and motives leading to closure of churches. In a statement chairman PTI Imran Khan said
that all the minorities enjoy full freedom of religion under the constitution
of Pakistan. He said the PTI believes in full freedom of minorities, adding
that such steps by the provincial government create a negative impression in
the international community.
SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan. First contact Shamim in case he has found an
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Be Blessed,
Shamim Mahmood
Diplomatic Correspondents
Online Int'l News Networks
Daily Jinnah & Daily Morning Mail
Journalist, Blogger and
Social Reformer
_________________
Edited by John R. Houk
Any text enclosed by brackets as well as source links are by the
Editor. Also, the Editor used Spellcheck.
A few words from Shamim perhaps from 2016:
Shamim Masih
Greetings to you! Let me introduce myself first, though many of you
are witness to my professional work. I am the only Christian journalist in this
arena with diverse work experience with different media outlets like
Independent News Pakistan (INP), as columnist with “Daily Times” for two years,
two years with one of the leading Urdu daily, “Khabrain” & Channel 5, Daily
Mail and now with Pakistan Today. I have been working as lead Reporter for
“British Pakistani Christian Association” since 2010. As stringer I have worked
with BBC world service. Being a Christian journalist, I have been writing on
minority rights and working as a social reformer/peace maker as well.
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