An Italian MEP has launched a campaign to highlight the plight of Asia Bibi who is facing the death sentence in Pakistan. Antonio Tajani’s initiative, a European Parliament written declaration, seeks to halt the sentence of the mother-of-five who has been in jail since 2010. His aim is to collect the signatures of more than…
American Senator Marco Rubio has criticised the Pakistan government, saying too much time has passed for the assassin of Shahbaz Bhatti to not have been brought to justice. He blamed the country’s blasphemy laws, highlighting that they encourage extremism and violence to thrive. Rubio said religious minorities in Pakistan are marginalized by the laws, proponents…
The Council of Islamic Ideology has been criticised for releasing a draft of the women’s protection bill in which it allows a husband to “lightly beat” his wife. The body released the draft on May 27 in response to the legislation in Punjab which bestowed greater rights on women and ensured their protection. According to…
A Muslim in Pakistan allegedly set fire to a copy of the Holy Bible, reducing it completely to ashes. On May 24 in Chandiyan Talawan, in District Faisalabad, Punjab, local Christians claimed the man had insulted the word of God, by setting the holy book on fire. Furious local Christians started chanting slogans and demanding…
A Pakistani Christian man has been missing since local Muslims accused him of committing blasphemy. Usman Liaqat, who works at an automobile company, has not been seen since he was accused of making a blasphemous post on Facebook. The incident took place in Khanpur Canal area in Sheikhupura, Punjab. His wife however, claims the father-of-three…
On May 23 CLAAS’s team headed by National Director CLAAS-PK Joseph Francis visited Chak 44, Mandi Bahaudin, where Imran Masih was working at the Bosal Rural Health Unit near his village. He was accused of committing blasphemy for having an objectionable video in his mobile phone. In that small village 36 houses are of Christian…
Pakistani Christian men are now able to honourably divorce their wives, without framing adultery charges, after the Lahore High Court restored law that was expunged by General Zia ul Haq. On Monday Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah restored the law and declared the Zia-era ordinance null and void 35 years ago. Petitioner Amin Masih, who…
A Pakistani Christian seamstress narrowly avoided a blasphemy accusation after the timely intervention of a senior police officer. Sonia, a resident of Gujrat, Punjab, barely escaped the horror of such an accusation after one of her clients started to make claims against her. On May 16 Muslim lady who belonging to a Kumhar (who makes…
A 14-year-old Pakistani Christian boy was killed and then hanged to make locals think he had committed suicide. Suleman Hadayat Maish was murdered by his aggressive employer on May 8, in Chehl Kalan village in Gujranwala, Punjab. Suleman’s dead body was found hanging in the stables at Noorpur, Chehl Kalan, Qila Didar Singh. Suleman used…
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, has expressed grave concern over the volatile situation in Mandi Bahauddin where extremist groups have been inciting violence against Christians. He said his party would not remain silent while atrocities took place against marginalised communities and asked the Federal and Punjab government to take immediate action. Bilawal…
