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Social Justice Survey Reveals Pakistan Corruption

 The Center for Social Justice (CSJ) recently carried out a survey on the social, political, and religious situation of non-Muslim groups in Pakistani society. The report was sent to Agenzia Fides and highlights four areas of concern that Christians face in Pakistan. “The fundamental rights of religious minorities in Pakistan are of great concern, as can be seen in the field of blasphemy, in religious conversions, in the implementation of labor regulations, in the educational sector”

The first area of concern deals with the “Blasphemy Law”, which is utilized to abuse Christians who take part in what the government considers blasphemy. Dozens of cases are filed against Christians with at least three people extrajudicially killed for allegedly violating this law. While the numbers may seem low, the report indicates that this number may be much higher as, “this data is not exhaustive due to the limited means and the frequency of the incidents, so the number of victims can be considerably higher.”

The second area of concern deals with the issue of forced conversion, while the third addresses the asymmetry of the most recent census results. At least 38 Christian women have been forcibly converted, and the lack of repercussions further encourages this heinous act. The census reports that the Christian population has decreased from 3.73% to 3.52%, despite the population surge. This asymmetry between population growth and Christian decline further marginalizes the Christian community and makes their plight more insignificant in the eyes of the government.

The fourth area of concern addresses the education system. The recent “Single National Curriculum” introduced by the government last year heavily focuses on Islamic teachings. “The general educational approach has brought public education closer to the religious education of madrasas, the teaching content is heavily loaded with lessons on the Islamic religion, which does not contribute to the objective of religious tolerance and social cohesion” according to the report.

The four areas of concern highlighted in this report reveal inaction by the government of Pakistan when it comes to justice for religious minorities and deliberate action to influence the youth into Islamic teachings while further repressing freedom of religion.

https://www.persecution.org/2022/02/24/social-justice-survey-reveals-pakistan-corruption/

PAKISTAN - Blasphemy, forced conversions, education system: the weak points for the rights of religious minorities

 "The fundamental rights of religious minorities in Pakistan are of great concern, as can be seen in the field of blasphemy, in religious conversions, in the implementation of labor regulations, in the educational sector": this is affirmed by a report by the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), which carries out a survey on the social, political and religious situation of non-Muslim groups in Pakistani society. Highlighting the key points of the state of rights in 2021, the CSJ, led by the Catholic layman Peter Jacob, in the report sent to Fides, focuses on four important issues for the effective realization of freedom of religion in Pakistan: abuse of blasphemy laws; the increase in forced conversions: the census of religious minorities; problems in the reform of the education system. On the first point, the abuse of the blasphemy law, notes the text, remained persistent in 2021. At least 84 people have been charged under the articles of the Pakistani penal code which constitute the "blasphemy law". Three people were extrajudicially killed, including the lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyanka Kumara in Sialkot. These figures, it is noted, are based on reported cases in the media, verified by the Center for Social Justice. "However, these data are not exhaustive due to the limited means, the frequency of the incidents, so that the number of victims can be considerably higher", reports the Center. In 2021, the highest number of cases was recorded in Sheikhupura (13), followed by Lahore (11) and Kasur (10), all districts in northern Punjab. The 80% incidence in 2021 is held by the Punjab Province. The largest number of victims of blasphemy (45) are of Muslim faith, followed by Ahmadis (25), while seven cases are recorded against Hindus and seven against the Christian community. "However, it should be remembered that Christian and Hindu minorities together represent 3.5% of the population. And the presence of abuse, threats and violence leaves serious repercussions in the life of these communities", notes the CSJ.

The organization calls on the government to approve a legislative measure that provides specific protections against the abuse of blasphemy laws and to prosecute those who make false accusations of blasphemy and/or extrajudicial executions.
The second point examined concerns the incidence of cases of forced conversions. Although the government has set up an ad hoc "parliamentary Commission", in 2021 the number of incidents increased to at least 78 reported cases (39 cases involving Hindu girls, 38 Christian girls or women and one Sikh). The highest number of cases (40) is reported in Sindh province, followed by 36 in Punjab, while one case from each province was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.
According to CSJ, the surge is due to impunity which increases the likelihood of crimes against the weakest and most vulnerable. "Faced with the government's inaction, the perpetrators of these acts use the pretext of religious conversions to cover up crimes such as the abduction of girls from religious minorities", notes the CSJ.
The third point of the Report sent to Fides notes that the last national population census carried out in 2017 in Pakistan became controversial before the announcement of the final results in 2021. According to the results of the census, the population of religious minorities increased from 3 .73% in 1998 to 3.52% in 2017 (a decrease of 0.21% in 19 years). Faced with general population growth, the evolution of religious minorities is surprisingly asymmetrical. The Christian population would have decreased by 0.32%. The CSJ urges the government to postpone the conduct and formalization of the popular census until April 2023 to allow adequate preparation, with an adequate prior awareness campaign on the necessary registration. "It is necessary to remove the 'culture of secrecy' in data processing in order to build trust among all sections of the population", the report said.
The fourth and last point, which is very important, concerns the education system. The government introduced a "Single National Curriculum" for grades 1 to 5 in 2021. "The general educational approach has brought public education closer to the religious education of madrasas", it notes, while "the teaching content is heavily loaded with lessons on the Islamic religion, which does not contribute to the objective of religious tolerance and social cohesion", denounces the CSJ. Public school textbooks allegedly violate article 22 of the Pakistani Constitution, which guarantees that: "No person who attends an educational institution is required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own". "Students from religious minorities are deprived of the study of their own religion", and the observations made on this subject remain pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, recalls the report, which calls on the authorities to respect article 22 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The CSJ also notes that the "Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act", amended in 2020, confuses the objectives of "public education" with those of "religious education". Moreover, the Punjab Department of School Education has announced the recruitment of 70,000 Islamic teachers, while there is a huge shortage of math, science and social science teachers. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 23/2/2022)

http://www.fides.org/en/news/71696-ASIA_PAKISTAN_Blasphemy_forced_conversions_education_system_the_weak_points_for_the_rights_of_religious_minorities

#Pakistan: New cybercrime law threatens to to stifle social media dissent

Pakistan's new social media-related cybercrime ordinance has drawn ire from civil society activists who say the "draconian" legislation is likely to be used against government critics.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's government recently passed a cybercrime ordinance that prescribes a punishment up to five years in jail for posting "fake news" about government officials, the military and judiciary on social media.

Human rights groups have said the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 is merely a tool to curb freedom of expression in the South Asian country.Khan's Cabinet adopted the ordinance swiftly after President Arif Alvi signed it over the weekend. The legislation, however, needs to be passed by the country's parliament within 90 days.Khan's government has come under heavy criticism locally and internationally for curbing free speech in Pakistan.A 2021 Reporters Without Borders report lists Khan as one of the "press freedom predators" in the world.

A move against 'fake news'?

Opposition parties have criticized the ordinance, saying the people arrested under the law will not have the right to file a bail application during the trial. "This ordinance is a violation of fundamental rights. It curbs media freedom," Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a former prime minister and member of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group) party, told DW. But Law and Justice Minister Farogh Naseem defends the legislation as an effective way to stop "fake news" and "hate speech" on electronic and social media. "The government believes in the freedom of expression, but it also wants to end the spread of fake news," Naseem told reporters. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), an independent rights organization, termed the legislation "undemocratic" and expressed concern that the law will be used to target critics of the government and state institutions.

"The government should be accountable to the citizens, and the ordinance should be rolled back immediately," it said in a statement.

https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-new-cybercrime-law-threatens-to-to-stifle-social-media-dissent/a-60899561

Pakistan’s foreign policy must maintain a delicate balance with war clouds hovering over Europe - Improving ties with Moscow

Zahid Hussain

@hidhussain

 PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan is visiting Moscow on the latter’s invitation amidst rising tensions in a region on the brink of a full-scale military conflict that can have massive global implications. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize the independence of two breakaway Ukrainian territories and to send Russian troops there has turned the situation even more volatile and has increased the threat of a wider conflagration.

 The latest development there presents a serious diplomatic predicament for the prime minister as Pakistan would not like to be perceived as siding with anyone party during a possible conflict.

A Russian invasion of Ukraine could create a very challenging situation for our foreign policy officials. It would require a delicate balancing act on Pakistan’s part, given its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The darkening war clouds in the region will cast a long shadow over the prime minister’s two-day stay in Moscow. Heightening tensions between Russia and the US in the Ukraine stand-off has further complicated the situation.

It will be the first trip to Moscow of a Pakistani leader in more than two decades and, as such, it highlights the warming of relations between the two nations in times of fast-changing geopolitics. The timing of the visit is of great importance in view of the emerging political realignment in the region.

Relations between Moscow and Islamabad have improved over the last few years and there has been increasing bilateral interaction at the senior official level. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Islamabad last April after nearly nine years.

With war clouds hovering over Europe, Pakistan’s foreign policy must maintain a delicate balance.

Besides growth in trade and economic relations, there has been a significant increase in security cooperation between the two countries. For instance, they have regularly conducted joint military exercises since 2016 and in 2018, when army chief Gen Bajwa visited Russia, they formed a joint military commission. To a large extent, these warmer ties have also been the result of Pakistan’s strained relations with the US that compelled the former country to expand its foreign policy options. This factor has led to both, deeper strategic relations with China and improvement in ties with Russia. Also, the growing US policy of confrontation with Beijing and Moscow has shaped regional realignments.

Pakistan may emphasize a position of neutrality but global developments of late, which have also included the Afghan situation after the departure of US troops, have brought it closer to the Beijing-Moscow axis.

Islamabad and Moscow have similar views on Afghanistan among other regional issues. Under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, both capitals have pledged to tackle together the growing threats that emanate from the militant Islamic State in the region. It is likely that the discussions between the two leaders will focus on economic cooperation and developments in the region after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. But the latest move by President Putin could shift the focus entirely. Moscow has not only recognized the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which were created by separatist movements in eastern Ukraine in 2014 but has also challenged the legitimacy of Ukraine itself as a sovereign nation. The tension between the two nations had been building up over Ukraine’s inclination to join the Nato alliance. Russia sees the Western plan to expand the defense treaty to eastern Europe and particularly to the former Soviet states as a deliberate move to encircle it. Moscow’s security concerns over Nato’s eastward expansion appeared to be valid.

For Moscow, it has also been a violation of an earlier understanding that the US and its Western allies would not intervene in Russia’s area of influence. The tension worsened after Russia’s invasion of Crimea and the latter’s annexation by it in 2014. But a UN resolution has rejected the annexation and considers the area to be a part of Ukraine. It also led to the imposition of some financial sanctions against Russia by the US.

The Ukrainian crisis took a more serious turn after Russia deployed thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border as fighting between the Ukrainian forces and the separatists intensified. Moscow had until now refuted the American claim that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was imminent. But President Putin’s speech on Monday has brought matters to a head, increasing the possibility of conflict. It also seems to have bridged the gap between the US and some of its Western allies who had been sceptical of President Biden’s aggressive approach towards Russia and had sought a diplomatic solution to the crisis. But the latest action has not drawn any support from the international community. America has imposed fresh sanctions on Russia with the latter’s recognition of the breakaway regions.

Such an aggressive stance by President Putin may also put Russia’s allies, particularly China in a diplomatic quandary. The two have cemented their alliance in the face of the Biden administration’s confrontationist policies towards them. President Putin and Chinese President Xi after their meeting in Beijing recently had issued a joint statement that their partnership had “no limits”. In that statement, China openly joined Russia in opposing a further expansion of Nato.

On the other hand, Beijing has also been supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty. Speaking at a security conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi while supporting Russia in saying that Nato’s enlargement was destabilizing the continent also stressed that Ukraine’s sovereignty should be “respected and safeguarded”. The statement is certainly at variance with President Putin’s questioning of Ukraine’s right to exist as a state. Any military action against Ukraine may strain the alliance. Moreover, China is Ukraine’s biggest trading partner. Pakistan too has close relations with Ukraine with whom it has forged strong security cooperation.

Pakistan has its own place in changing geopolitical dynamics but caution is needed if the country is to safeguard its interests. Improving relations with Moscow is to be welcomed but it is also crucial that it maintains a balance in foreign ties so that it doesn’t end up favoring one side over the other.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1676596/improving-ties-with-moscow?preview