PAKISTAN: Bishop says action for minorities "down-graded"

By John Pontifex

Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, Pakistan

The leader of Catholics in Pakistan has described the appointment of a government minister for national harmony as a "down-grade" for Christians and others increasingly concerned about religious freedom in the country.

Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan, expressed disappointment at the government decision to create a State Minister for National Harmony with Akram Masih Gill filling the post.

The bishop told Aid to the Church in Need that Mr Gill's government rank was below that of Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated in March while serving as Federal Minister for Minorities, a cabinet position.

Bishop Coutts also said that while Mr Bhatti, also a Catholic, had specific responsibilities for promoting the interests of religious minorities, Mr Gill's appointment last week has a more general brief, looking at the wider issue of social cohesion.

The bishop went on to say that the loss of a Cabinet-rank minister could not be compensated for by the appointment of Mr Bhatti's brother, Dr Paul Bhatti, as minority affairs' advisor to Pakistan's Prime Minister.

Bishop Coutts said: "For me all this is a step down; it's a certain downgrade concerning the representation of minorities.

"It is true that with Mr Gill's appointment and that of Dr Bhatti there are two chances for the voice of minorities to be heard but probably neither will have the same impact as that of Shahbaz Bhatti as federal minister."

The bishop's comments coincide with a growing concern that Pakistan's three million Christians as well as Hindus, Sikhs and Shia Muslims are being silenced because of the growth of extremism.

A core issue is proposed changes to Pakistan's controversial Blasphemy Laws, which have been widely abused. The laws are linked to mob violence carried out in response to alleged offences against Islam such as disrespect to the Prophet Mohammed and defacing of text containing Qur'anic verses.

After Mr Bhatti was killed on 2^nd March, his assassin claimed he acted in response to the minister's stated criticism of the Blasphemy Laws.

Two months earlier, the same motive was given by the man accused of killing Salman Taseer, the Governor of the Punja. Mr Taseer had called for changes to the Blasphemy Laws after mounting outrage at the death sentence given to 45-year-old Christian mother of five Asia Bibi.

Mrs Bibi is on death row after being found guilty of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

• Please sign Aid to the Church in Need's petition to change the blasphemy laws.


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• Pakistan
• Persecution

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