At an event where prominent social and political leaders across Punjab Province were present, Christian leaders and others last week called on the government of Pakistan to amend blasphemy laws and end its indifference to violence against minorities.
“A radical Muslim says, ‘What’s the big deal if a Chuhra [derogatory term for Christian] has been killed?’ and threatens more violence against us, yet our state remains tightlipped,” Samson Salamat, chairman of the event sponsor, advocacy organization Rawadari Tehreek, in his inaugural address at the June 12 event the Lahore Press Club. “Are Christians not Pakistanis? Are we not equal citizens? Is our blood, honor and existence so worthless to the state?”
Salamat criticized Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and other government leaders for failing to condemn the lynching of 74-year-old Nazeer Masih Gill.
“Neither the Punjab CM nor any of the other senior government leaders have condemned Gill’s brutal killing or even shown the courtesy to visit the grieving family and offer their condolences,” Salamat said. “They haven’t even said a word on the threats being publicly given to us by an extremist party. What message is the state giving to Christians?”
A Muslim mob on May 25 assaulted Gill in Sargodha city’s Mujahid Colony after an area Muslim accused him of burning pages of the Quran in the street. The mob, including women and children, pelted Gill with bricks and stones, beat him with sticks and kicked him as he lay bleeding on the ground. He died from his injuries on June 3.
The assailants also burned down his family’s shoe workshop and looted and ransacked his house.
Though he was falsely accused and heinously assaulted, police registered a case against Gill under blasphemy and anti-terrorism laws. The complainant in the case was a local leader of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a Muslim extremist group involved in violent attacks on Christians, including assaults in Jaranwala on Aug. 16.
Peter Jacob of the Center of Social Justice highlighted repeated failures of police and law enforcement agencies to protect minorities and their properties from mob violence stoked by blasphemy allegations.
“We are shocked by the government’s silence and inaction,” Jacob said. “The state’s reluctance to act against perpetrators of violence will only embolden them to carry on with such atrocities.”
A veteran rights advocate and one of eight recipients of the U.S. State Department’s Religious Freedom Award 2024, Jacob also called for formation of a commission to investigate all violence related to blasphemy allegations, from the burning of villages to mob lynchings.
Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, a Christian and former lawmaker from Sargodha, strongly criticized the TLP for inciting hatred against Christians.
“There have been 10 incidents of alleged blasphemy in Sargodha since last year, of which Christians were accused in four cases, while the remaining six were against Muslims,” Chaudhry said. “Why are only Christians attacked and killed by TLP members, while Muslims have remained untouched? It’s clear that Christians are the main target of TLP and other organizations, and they are using blasphemy to settle personal issues against our community members.”
Recent protests by TLP were a tactic to pressure police and government officials to release its arrested activists, Chaudhry said.
“Christians across the board should unite to raise their voices against growing extremism and demand punishment for all those responsible for Gill’s killing,” he said.
Irfan Mufti, a Muslim and chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of 35-member civil society organizations, echoed the concerns raised by the Christian speakers.
“As a Muslim, I strongly condemn increasing incidents of religious extremism and violence against Christians,” Mufti said. “The state’s silence will be akin to patronizing the perpetrators if it does nothing to protect the minority citizens.”
Other speakers, including Minorities Alliance Pakistan Chairman Akmal Bhatti, Maseehi Bedari Tehreek President Imran Shahzad Sahotra, Christian lawmaker Ejaz Alam Augustine, rights activist Lala Robin Daniel and Christians’ True Spirit Executive Director Katerine Sapna, demanded speedy and fair trials for those involved in the Jaranwala attacks and the lynching of Gill.
They also stressed the urgent need to ban extremist groups that propagate hate and incite violence against religious minorities under the guise of blasphemy laws.
At the end of the event, the leaders proposed a comprehensive de-radicalization plan, including strict implementation of hate-speech laws, removal of biased content from educational curricula, and a zero-tolerance policy for extremist groups and their supporters.
The participants collectively pledged to intensify their efforts against religious extremism, intolerance, and violence targeting religious minorities across Pakistan. They emphasized the urgency of addressing the misuse of blasphemy laws, frequently abused to settle personal scores and incite sectarian sentiments, disproportionately affecting religious minorities.
Letter to Prime Minister
At the same time, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) has issued an open letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging immediate action to address the escalating violence and attacks against minority communities in Pakistan.
The NCHR, established under the NCHR Act XVI of 2012, has a mandate to promote and protect human rights in accordance with Pakistan’s Constitution, domestic laws, and international treaties. The commission investigates human rights abuses and advises the government on legislative, policy, and administrative matters.
The letter highlights several recent cases of violence against minorities, including the killings of Tahir Iqbal, an Ahmadi, in Bahawalpur; Prince Masih, a Christian, in Rawalpindi; Priya, a Hindu, in Karachi; Ashfaq Masih, a Christian, in Miranshah; Nazeer Masih Gill, a Christian, in Sargodha; and most recently, Ghulam Sarwar and Rahat Ahmad Bajwa, both Ahmadis, in Mandi Bahauddin.
“These incidents point to a troubling trend of growing intolerance and violence against minority communities in Pakistan,” the letter states. “The NCHR emphasizes that extremist ideologies and the radicalization of youth are critical issues that need urgent attention.
“The Commission has also been approached by representatives of the international community regarding Pakistan’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This year, Pakistan is required to report on measures adopted to uphold the rights described in these conventions and the progress made.”
The NCHR called for decisive government action, including strengthening protections for minorities by ensuring law enforcement agencies are adequately trained and equipped, especially during vulnerable times such as religious holidays. The commission also urged implementation of a comprehensive strategy to combat radicalization, including education reforms that promote tolerance and inclusivity.
Additionally, it stressed the need for clear mechanisms for reporting and addressing attacks on minorities, ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable and victims receive justice.
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
