By Afshain Afzal

Few days before the tragic twin blasts near the Christian Churches in Pakistani city of Lahore, there was a massive hunt for Pakistani illegal Christian around the world. In Thailand alone, in a campaign against Pakistani Christian asylum seekers, Police arrested hundreds of Pakistani Christian from Churches and grocery stores in different cities under immigration rules. Ever since the signing of Readmission Agreement between Pakistan and European Union, the expulsion of illegal Pakistanis, predominantly Christian has put a big business of illegally settlements abroad to a halt. Same goes fit for the other countries. These illegal citizens were not only involved in criminal activities but were also often found taking law of that country into their hands.

Investigations revealed that Christians from India and other neighbouring countries used to crossover illegally to Pakistan, where they were provided Computerized Pakistani National Identity Cards, passports and other travel documents by criminal networks to enter different countries as transit routes to migrate to other countries. They also got themselves registered with United Nations Human Rights Commission on Refugees (UNHRC) and other human rights organizations to legally strengthen their cases of immigration. This was followed by illegal immigration to foreign countries of their choice, where they use to official take up requests for asylum.

Interestingly, in the same context, Dr. Nazir S. Bhatti, Chief of Pakistan Christian Congress, based in US, wrote a letter to Prime Minister of Thailand, General Prayut Chan-o-cha on 7 March 2015, to stop arrests of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers by Bangkok Police in Thailand as Pakistani Christian asylum seekers have fled from Pakistan after genocide and took refuge in Western countries for safety and security of their lives. It is a matter of concern that without the knowledge of Government of Pakistan or any other authority, thousands of Christian from Pakistan entered illegally to Thailand, at their own, and got themselves registered with United Nations Human Rights Commission on Refugees (UNHRC) to seek asylum there. More than 12,000 Christian from Pakistan are illegally living in Thailand also as asylum.

A day after this letter, which was also advertised through media, the twin attacks near the Christian Churches in Yohanabad in Lahore took place, killing at least 16 innocent people. As a reaction Christian took to the street and started damaging the public and private properties. The Christian mob also burnt two Muslims alive in Lahore and created a state of horror for complete two days. Fortunately, there was no reaction from the other side, which defused the tension. Many analysts view that the motive behind the terrorist attacks was to convince the foreign governments that genocide of Christian in Pakistan is taking place.

Soon after the incident, Media reports claimed that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accepted responsibility for the blasts and threatened more attacks. However, when same media was questioned about the authenticity of the claim of TTP, they declined to respond. In another development, commenting on attacks near the Churches in Yohanabad, Haji Abdus Samad, TTP representatives in in Khyber PK province denied their role in the cowardly attacks and clarified that Islam teaches us equal treatment with non-Muslim and protection of minority’s holy place. He further elaborated that had members of TTP against the Christians or their holy place, by now not even one such building would have be spared in his province but Islam forbid them to do that.

Ironically, without any confirmation, the UN Secretary-General while condemning the terrorist attacks in Lahore expressed grave concern that the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attacks and threatened to carry out more such acts in the future. He called on Government of Pakistan to bring the perpetrators to justice and to do its utmost to prevent attacks against places of worship and protect religious minorities. Reacting over the incident, Pope Francis said that Christians are being persecuted only because they are Christians. One wonders, is media so authentic that office of UN Security General and personalities like holy pope can issue sweeping statements, confirming who were behind the terrorist attacks. No doubt, the majority of Pakistani Christians are loyal citizens of Pakistan but Islamabad need to do something about illegal citizens from India and other countries, who are engaged in criminal activities.

If we compare with the neighbouring India, India-based Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) released a report, covering period of year 2014, which documented 120 attacks on Christians, their Churches and other institutions, across India.  The report further highlighted over 7000 cases of Indian Christian facing threats, violence and displacement between December 2013 and end of 2014, including 1600 women, 500 children and 300 members of the clergy and community leadership. There is a need to clarify that these figures are execrated, which can be judged from a recent incidents in which attack on Church was carried out by the members of the Christian community themselves.

In a statement, US State Department’s spokesperson Jen Psaki while condemning the attacks near the Christian Churches in Lahore, supported the right of every person to practice any religion without fear of intimidation, death, coercion or any form of reprisal, which was a basic human right in both Pakistan and throughout the world. It is so strange that in countries like US where people belonging to other faiths are living as third grade citizens and Americans have started claiming that the US Constitution is based on Judeo-Christian principles but Western government consider their right to poke their nose in the internal affairs of other nations. Islam is being insulted and Muslims humiliated everywhere in the Western countries but it does not fall in Hate Speech crime”. Recently, at the floor of US’ Senate, Americans have pronounced that US is a Christian nation and Hinduism as a false faith with false gods but it is OK as West is above the law.

The minorities including Christians and Hindus must also understand that although the law and order situation in Pakistan is under control but it is not as good as should have been. There are foreign agents everywhere. It would not be an over exaggeration that illegal immigrants from India and other neighbouring states accounts to over 3.9 Crore. Ironically, till early 1970ies, the population of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was 56 percent while the West Pakistan was 46 percent. Today, thanks to illegal immigrants from India that where the population of Bangladesh is 16 Crore, the pollution in Pakistan has increased to 19 Crore. Interestingly, the population of illegal minorities also increased in the same pattern. It is high time that we must identify our enemies and fifth columnists in our files and follow the lessons of peace and tolerance. We are one nation and should be conscious of black propaganda by Indian and US Cyber Commands which is using media and mobile SMS to create misunderstanding between the loyal citizens of Pakistan. afshain@hotmail.com