Pakistan - Taliban warning aftermath: Government urged to provide extra security to minorities

Following the warning issued by Taliban, Pakistani Christian leader has reacted by urging the government to ensure security of Christians and other religious minorities in the country. This statement comes after the terrorist out-fit issued a video message on its website; warning them not to support government.

In this connection, Dr. Nazir S. Bhatti President of Pakistan Christian Congress has stated that it seems Taliban have political agenda behind this video message, because they had already attacked churches in Pakistan on several occasions. “This Taliban video threat is an attempt to divide different religious segments of Pakistani society and to target single handedly establishment of Pakistan which seems very serious strategy and cannot be ignore” said Nazir Bhatti.

He further stated that the military operation Rad-ul-Fasaad is going to be the decisive blow. He urged the government of Pakistan to take extra steps in order to protect the religious minorities in the country. He said that government must ensure protection at Churches, Temples and Gurdawaras.

In the thick of recent wave of terrorism, Pakistan Army has announced to launch a country wide operation “Radd-Ul-Fassad” against terrorists. Country is reeling after the terror strikes in Lahore, Sehwan, Charsada and various other places across the country.

In the video, the group warned: “Churches, (Hindu) temples, Gurdawaras (Sikh temples) and all the religious places of non-Muslims are not included in our targets until and unless these places are used by our enemies.” The group named Government of Pakistan and Army as its enemies who had carried out military operation in 2007 at Lal Masjid in Islamabad.

While remarking about this warning, Archbishop of Karachi Joseph Coutts, said that the it is hard to understand terrorists. “It depends on what they think, how they in interpret the enemy and link things. They are very slippery like a snake in the grass.”

“They can make anything out of a visiting army officer in a Church or a police guard on duty during Sunday Mass. It is a different kind of guerrilla warfare and we have to learn to protect ourselves,” he said.