Pakistan: Church leader slams targeted killings of minorities

The presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church of Pakistan has condemned the recent spate of targeted killings of members of minority communities, and called on the government to take immediate action to protect the citizens, Daily Times reported.

In a press statement, Bishop Dr Azad Marshall expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of violence against minority groups, including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the targeting of innocent civilians because of their religious beliefs or ethnicity," Bishop Marshall said. "It is unacceptable and goes against the fundamental principles of humanity."

The statement comes on the heels of attacks on a Christian and Sikh in Peshawar and a Hindu doctor in Karachi last week.

A Christian man was shot dead in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Saturday, in what officials say is the second incident of target killing of minorities in the last 24 hours, reported The Khorasan Diary.

According to police, Kashif Maseeh was gunned down by armed motorcyclists on his doorstep.

A day before that, a Sikh shopkeeper was gunned down in Peshawar in a similar manner. There have been no responsibility claims for the attacks, added The Khorasan Diary.

Sikh Minority shopkeeper Dayal Singh was killed by gunmen in the Dir Colony of Peshawar. Peshawar Police said that Dayal Singh was sitting at his shop when unknown motorcyclists killed him and fled around 3 pm on Friday.

A Pakistani Hindu doctor Dr Birbal Genani became a victim of target killing near Layari in Karachi while returning home from his clinic on Thursday, Dunya News reported.

Former Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) senior director of health and eye specialist Dr Birbal Genani was shot dead by unknown assailants in Karachi on Thursday, Geo News reported.

Targeted killings

"The targeted killings of Kashif Masih and Diyal Singh in Peshawar and of Dr Birbal Genani in Karachi within a span of two days in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have instilled shock and fear in all three communities. The government must get its act together and ensure the safety and security of our people," Bishop said.

Bishop Marshall also condemned the recent hate speech made by a lawmaker in parliament, which he said had hurt the religious sentiments of the Christians, Daily Times reported.

"We call on the government to take strong action against Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaat-e-Islami and all others who use hate speech and incite violence against innocent people," he said.

Chitrali has drawn the ire of the Christian community for calling the Bible, Torah and Psalms "cancelled scriptures", while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly last week against the policy of giving additional marks to medical students who can memorize the Quran or the Bible.

"The gospel, Torah and the psalms are cancelled (scriptures). We believe in all of them and don't reject them but Quran is permanent and will remain till judgement day," he said on March 28.

"We have also noted with concern how the Speaker of the National Assembly ignored Chitrali's remarks and didn't allow a Christian lawmaker to counter it. The floor of the House is not meant to demean any religion and we expect the Speaker will take cognizance of this fact and not allow any person to spew hatred against other faiths," he said.

Shopkeepers assaulted

Last week, Hindu shopkeepers were assaulted in Pakistan for allegedly "violating the Ramzan Ordinance" by eating, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The police officer in a video that went viral on social media, was seen roaming the Ghotki district with a stick in his hands. The police officer thrashed Hindu restaurant owners including Hindu men who were reportedly preparing biryani for delivery orders in the local market.

Meanwhile, Sindhi Hindus carried 15 points to the Sindh government to ensure the protection of Hindus in the province.

On March 30, 2023, Pakistan Darawar Itehad Organization organized a protest from the Karachi Press Club to the Sindh Assembly - the large people of Hindus joined the protest, most of them were the victim families whose daughters were forcibly converted to Islam, killing and kidnapping of Hindus and the encroachment of the land and temples, reported The Rise News.

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