HRC

Blasphemy Laws & Police Torture In Pakistan

Blasphemy Laws & Torture In Pakistan

By ECLJ1521625731928

Oral statement delivered during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council on the Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan, 19 March 2018.

 

In Pakistan, persecution and discrimination against Christians and other minorities are commonplace and the government has failed to bring perpetrators to justice.

Through its affiliate office in Pakistan, the ECLJ has firsthand knowledge of the plight of Christian and other minorities in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Last December, gunmen and suicide bombers attacked a Methodist Church in Quetta, killing at least eleven people and injuring over fifty others. During the same month, a terrorist attacked a Christian neighbourhood in Chaman,  killing three people, including a young boy.

Blasphemy laws are still a major concern in Pakistan. Just this month, over 800 Christian families fled their homes after a Muslim mob formed to attack them because a young Christian man was accused of posting blasphemous content on Facebook.

Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five, and about 40 other people are currently on death row or serving life sentences under the blasphemy laws.

Police torture is yet another threat. Last October, six policemen beat a Christian student to death over an argument with some Muslim classmates. The ECLJ’s affiliate in Pakistan is representing the Christian student’s family, seeking justice. However, in cases of police torture, justice is rarely served.

The ECLJ calls the United Nations to request that Pakistan protect Christians and other religious minorities and bring the perpetrators of violence to justice.

Thank you for your attention.

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