News Desk
April 6, 2025 Lahore (PR):
The Pakistani Christian Advocacy Network International (PCANI) has issued a strong condemnation of what it describes as a troubling rise in religiously motivated violence targeting minorities in Pakistan. In a global statement released over the weekend, the organization called for urgent government intervention and international pressure to address what it claims is a growing culture of impunity for such crimes.
The statement outlines three recent incidents involving Christian and Hindu victims in different parts of the country. On March 21 in Sheikhupura, Punjab, Waqas Masih, a 22-year-old Christian contract worker, was attacked at Subhan Allah Paper Mills. According to PCANI, the attacker, Zohaib Iftikhar, used a blade to slash Masih’s throat after accusing him of blasphemy for collecting discarded Islamic textbooks. Masih survived the assault but remains in critical condition. Police registered an attempted murder case and took the suspect into custody.
On March 29 in Peshawar’s Ameen Colony, a Hindu man named Nadeem Nath was fatally shot after what PCANI describes as months of religious harassment and pressure to convert. While an investigation is ongoing, police have yet to confirm a religious motive, prompting concerns over delays and official inaction.
On April 1 in Faisalabad, a Christian woman, Shumaila Noor, was reportedly gang-raped, and a Christian man was violently assaulted after allegedly refusing to renounce his faith. PCANI labeled these acts as hate crimes and called them violations of human dignity and basic legal protections.
The organization argues that these incidents are not isolated, but part of a larger, systemic problem of religious intolerance and lack of accountability. The group cited constitutional protections under Articles 20 and 25 of Pakistan’s Constitution, as well as international obligations including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It also referenced Pakistan’s commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.
PCANI is demanding swift legal action against all perpetrators, independent and transparent investigations, and immediate support for victims and their families. It also called for public condemnation from Pakistan’s top leadership, reforms to prevent the misuse of blasphemy laws, and broader efforts to counter religious extremism through education and law enforcement.
In a statement accompanying the appeal, PCANI President and Spokesperson Augustine Gill said, “We are not issuing another polite appeal — we are issuing a direct demand to the Government of Pakistan: Act now. End the inaction. End the lack of rule of law. Investigate these crimes as religiously motivated hate crimes and punish the perpetrators with the full force of the law. Every day of inaction invites another tragedy.”
The organization is calling on the United Nations, USCIRF, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the European Union to speak out and pressure Pakistan to uphold its national and international commitments to protect minority communities.