Many members of these groups continue calling on the government to protect their right to religious freedom, but their advocacy seems to be in vain. Several comments criticize prime minister Imran Khan for promising religious freedom protection without action.

One commenter stated that Pakistani Christians are in a worse position than dogs. Another asked, “Where are all western countries who are so involved [for] Afghans to give them safe passage but no one [cares] about Christians in Pakistan?” Other members post reminders that God alone will save their community. One post claimed that 3 out of 4 churches in Karachi’s Gujjar Nullah were destroyed during a recent anti-encroachment drive.

Last Sunday, Gospel TV and World News displayed clips of the members of a church group after being attacked by extremists. Blood could be seen on the bottoms of the men’s shalwar kameez. In an attack on the 7th of September 2021 on New Hope Church in the Sherkot area of Lahore, five women were injured, including a pregnant woman, and one man was shot twice in the leg. After the acts against Christians were aired, peace-loving Muslims offered words of sympathy and agreed that minorities are unsafe in the country.

In response to another video about an entire family that was terrorized by radicals in Lahore, a contributor to the private Facebook group wrote, “Every day this work is happening in Pakistan. All Christian families, God bless you. I will pray for you all.” The family in the video suffered beatings, and the women’s clothes were sliced open. The eldest woman in the footage cried as she explained what happened to her garments and how terrorists nearly killed her. A younger male, close to her, stood bleeding from a wound to the back of the head.

At this point, some Pakistani believers are trying to find ways out of the country, and several Christian leaders have inquired how they can emigrate to the United States.

Source: persecution