Few days back, I saw tent outside the National Press Club, Islamabad, there a Christian couple with children has converted to Islam and was looking for financial help. The newly converted Muslim family has posted a written request that asked help from President of Pakistan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chief Justice of Pakistan and Malik Riaz (a real estate tycoon). This is not the first time that such incident happened, earlier many families have displaced the same banners and many of my colleagues are witness to it.
Though the data is not available but I guess around 95% Pakistani Christians are living under below poverty line rather situation much worse in remote areas as Christians are living in bounded slavery. Long ago before Indo-Pak partition when missionaries came here and preached Christianity, majority from poor class converted to Christianity certainly it happened due to the love and economic support by the missionaries. Missionaries established educational institutions and health care centers in this region. When Pakistan came into being in 1947, history is witness to it that there were some Christians sitting on the top most positions in different sectors. But as soon as the real ideology was grabbed by Liaqat Ali Khan after the death of founder of the nation Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Pakistan become Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956. On 12 March, 1949, the second constituent assembly of Pakistan passed the objective resolution which was proposed by the first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, proclaimed that the future constitution of Pakistan would not be modeled entirely on a European pattern, but on the ideology and democratic faith of Islam. The promulgation of constitution in 1956 lead to Pakistan declaring itself Islamic Republic (official name) with the adoption of parliamentary democratic system of government. Resignation letter of Jogendra Nath Mandal in October 1950 clearly showed the hypocrisy of the Muslim leadership.
Missionaries established educational institutions to educate children from the lower class and hospitals for public care but after their mass exodus of missionaries from Pakistan, sitting Christian leadership didn’t follow the same rules. Later when Zulifqar Ali Bhutto became the prime minister of Pakistan, he nationalized Christian institutions thus this chapter was closed. Since then neither clergy nor political leadership ever planned for the economic development of the Christians. Instead clergy remain busy in selling church properties and political leadership remains disloyal with the community. In the first week of November 2015, in the village of Punjab province, chack number 228, (around 50 km away from the Faisalabad) eight years old Christian girl was beaten and locked in her school washroom by her head teacher for daring to use toilet meant for Muslim girls only. In the recent few weeks dozens of Christian girls were kidnapped/rapped and forced to conversion. Head teacher in a village 30 kilometer away from Punjab capital was brutally beaten up due to his faith by his subordinate. Still Pakistani leadership says that there is no discrimination and minorities are enjoying full rights in Pakistan. This is all due to the poor performance of the Christian leadership; and Pakistani Christians are still facing many problems. But clergy is busy in making money.
Secondly since government of Pakistan has adopted joint electoral system for minorities of the country. Local community is divided into different groups, divide and rule policy adopted. PML-N present ruling party, in Punjab has not been able to provide protection to Christians instead the rulers’ attitude towards Christian is discriminatory. Since twin churches bomb blast in Youhanabad, many Christians are still in prisons. Dozens of the families are suffering due to the arrests of the family heads. Though the government has not been able to prove its allegations against them, but inmates and their families are suffering. In this incident, one Christian parliamentarian has reportedly betrayed with the community and had shown his loyalty with his party. The same has been happening for the last decade.
Christians of Pakistan need better leadership and unity at the local level. There are people with potential to do something but they don’t have resources. But there are people, with no vision but resources, they are wasting them and have set their priorities. Education, economic uplift programs need to adopted. And to discourage the hypocrites and self centered personals.
There are also some so called leaders among Pakistani Christians, they mislead the world and present cool and calm situation in Pakistan for Pakistani Christians. Most recently one religious leader and so called political leader has attended and present a report and denied any oppression or persecution of religious minorities by government and local people. This type of people are betrayers and have sold our nation, they do not want anyone to expose them. These are Judas Iscariots of today and we need to stand against them. But I believe that youngsters of nation have realized and will reject them and will stand with truth and right.
European Union has taken in millions refugees from Syria, Egypt and other countries of Middle East. Now extremists among those refugees are reportedly involved in creating disturbance in EU and UK. EU and UNHCR are very open about refugees from Middle East. But these EU countries always discourage Pakistani Christians. And taking measures against Christian asylum seekers from Pakistan. As Pakistani Christian, I urge Pakistani Christians to stand together and join hands together against the crooked and self centered so called leadership.