Pakistan: Protecting minorities: Killing of Christian couple sparks protests

Members of civil society, political parties and the Christian community took to the streets on Sunday to persuade the federal and Punjab governments to take action against the perpetrators of the Kot Radha Kishan incident.

At least 500 members of Christian community gathered on Sher Shah Suri Road outside Peshawar Press Club. Representatives from churches across Peshawar, including the Church of Pakistan Peshawar Cantt, Anglican Orthodox, Church of Peshawar, Catholic Church and AOG Church Swati Gate, participated.

Rallies were also taken out from different churches to the press club by civil society organisations and political parties such as the All Pakistan Minority Alliance (APMA), Pakistan Minority Alliance (PMA), Awami National Party (ANP) and Christian Students Fellowship (CSF).

The protesters urged the government to prevent the misuse of the blasphemy law. They voiced concern and alarm over the killing of a Christian couple accused of blasphemy in Kot Radha Kishan. Holding placards, they shouted slogans against the Punjab government for not taking action against the misuse of the blasphemy law against minorities.

Speaking out

A delegation of legal practitioners belonging to the Christian community had organised a news conference on Saturday to discuss the incident. Speaking at the conference, Advocate Shaukat Ghulam insisted the couple was actually killed over the failure to repay debts on time. According to Ghulam, the couple had repeatedly asked residents of Kot Radha Kishan to help them but they turned a blind eye.

Ghulam blamed the federal government for not providing adequate protection to minorities. “If the government could not control the miscreants, the matter should be handed over to the United Nations to be examined,” he said.

“The couple’s death is a clear example of extra-judicial killing and the Supreme Court should take suo motu action against the villagers of Kot Radha Kishan,” Ghulam added.

Speaking about the plight of the Christian community, the advocate said a number of people, especially from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, have sought asylum abroad because they do not feel secure in Pakistan.

Ghulam appealed to political parties, such as the Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), to raise more awareness about the rights of minorities and issue an official statement on the Kot Radha Kishan incident.