Pakistan's Catholic leaders demand government action against religious violence
November 19, 2014
The president of the Pakistani Catholic bishops’ conference has joined with the president of the Major Superiors Leadership Conference in a plea to the country’s political leaders for tolerance and protection of religious minorities.
In letters made available to the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi and Father Pascal Paulus listed a “charter of demands” and pleaded for government action to prevent incidents such as the brutal lynching of a Christian couple last week. The letters were sent to Pakistan’s chief justice, president, and prime minister; and to the chief minister of the Punjab state where the latest atrocity occurred.
The letters warn that “intolerance in the name of religion in Pakistan has escalated beyond the rule of law.” They ask the government to ensure a full investigation of the killings and punishment of those responsible; a policy of holding religious leaders accountable for inciting violence; adequate police protection for minorities against mobs; and “immediate measures to stop the misuse of the blasphemy laws.”
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