08/05/2015

Pakistan: Instigators of attacks on churches arrested

An important step towards ending impunity – Situation for Pakistani Christians still threatening (Press Release)

Pakistanis living abroad, like here in Den Haag, demonstrate against the attacks on churches in Pakistan. Photo: © Roel Wijnants/Flickr

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has expressed relief about the arrests of five suspected masterminds behind two suicide attacks on churches in Pakistan. “This is an important step towards ending impunity for serious human rights abuses against religious minorities in Pakistan,” said the STP’s Asia-consultant, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Wednesday. On Tuesday evening, the interior minister of the Punjab region announced the arrest of five suspected Islamists extremists who allegedly planned a double attack on Christian churches in the city of Lahore on March 15, 2015. In the suicide attacks, 17 people got killed – and more than 70 were injured.

“The Christians in Pakistan might be relieved about the success, but their situation is still catastrophic. They don’t feel protected – neither in their churches nor in their everyday lives,” said Delius. The Pakistani Christians live in constant fear of attacks or are afraid that their neighbors might report them to the authorities for allegedly mocking the prophet Mohammed.  “There are more and more cases in which the controversial blasphemy laws in Pakistan are misused in neighborhood disputes.” Thus, the judicial authorities are currently investigating blasphemy charges against 130 Christians and more than 950 Muslims. Of the affected Muslims, it is especially the Ahmadiyyah who suffer from the misuse of the blasphemy laws.

Many Christians in Pakistan are relieved about the arrests of the masterminds behind the suicide attacks, which had caused unrest and massive protests among the minority group. In the course of the demonstrations, the furious crowd had even lynched two alleged accomplices of the attackers.

The suicide attacks had been especially ruthless: the bombs went up in front of two churches full of people. The first attacker blew himself up in front of the Catholic Church of St.Johanns after he had been denied access to house of worship. A few minutes later, the second attacker struck in front of the Protestant Christ Church. The arrested suspects are said to be close to the radical Islamic breakaway group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which operates from Afghanistan.

About two percent of the 180 million inhabitants of Pakistan are Christians.


Header Photo: Flickr/Roel Wijnants