Some of the world’s most widely-known cases of anti-Christian pressure and violence have arisen in Pakistan, a country whose founder promoted religious freedom. Asia Bibi’s case prompted international condemnation of Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws but there are still dozens of Christians and others on death row for blasphemy. Meanwhile, several churches and Christian colonies have been attacked by Islamists in recent years, leading to the loss of many lives. Although Christians are around 2% of the population, they make up about 80% of the workforce dealing with waste management (sewerage and street-cleaning). World Watch Monitor’s journalism brought changes in employment legislation in Punjab for such ‘sweepers’ in September 2015.  `

 

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A tragic homecoming

A tragic homecoming

A girl sobs quietly in a the compound of All Saints Church, in Peshawar, PakistanKamran Chaudhry for World Watch Monitor   By Kamran Choudhry, communications officer, Caritas Pakistan News of the deadliest attack ever on Pakistani Christians last Sunday deeply depressed me. It was personal. TV video clips showed my […]

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Pakistan’s Christian leaders demand security after bombings

Pakistan’s Christian leaders demand security after bombings

Protesters took to the streets in cities across Pakistan following the church bombings.World Watch Monitor   Anguish and anger has erupted across Pakistan since Sunday after two suicide bombers killed dozens of people as they were leaving church services. The bomb attacks took place at 12:15 p.m. on Sept. 22 […]

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Arrests made in Bhatti murder

Pakistan police have arrested eight men in connection with the March 2011 assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, a cabinet minister who had spoken out against the country’s blasphemy laws, according to Pakistan news reports. Bhatti, the minister for minority affairs, urged reform of laws that make it a crime to insult […]

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Rimsha accused goes free

Rimsha accused goes free

The Muslim cleric suspected of framing Pakistani Christian girl Rimsha Masih has been acquitted. The district court found there was insufficient evidence to convict Imam Khalid Jadoon Chishti, who was suspected of planting the burnt pages of some Islamic texts into the teenager’s bag. Rights activist Basharat Khokhar, left; Mizrak […]

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Pakistani Christians ensure police arrest key murder suspect

Pakistani Christians ensure police arrest key murder suspect

Hundreds of Pakistani Christians braved scorching summer heat for three days and two nights in agricultural fields to ensure that police would register the alleged murder of a Punjabi agricultural smallholder in front of his two children. 45-year-old Ishaq Masih, a resident of a village in the Okara district, near […]

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Pakistani Christians angered by ‘sweeper’ comment

Pakistani Christians angered by ‘sweeper’ comment

Pakistani Christians have been angered by a statement by the Chief Minister of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that only “non-Muslims will be recruited as sweepers”. The province, known for short as KPK, borders Afghanistan. Its Chief Minister, Pervez Khattak, who is in former international cricketer Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan […]

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Rimsha, family, living in Canada

Rimsha, family, living in Canada

Rimsha Masih, the teenage Pakistani girl who once faced the possibility of the death penalty because she was accused of insulting Islam, is living in Canada with her family, a Canadian religious-rights organization says. Peter Bhatti, executive director of International Christian Voice, told World Watch Monitor on Saturday that Rimsha […]

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