Christian Community Responses to the Failure of Constitutional and State Safeguards Against Blasphemy, Apostasy, and Violent extremism in Pakistan

Abstract

Christians in Pakistan are living under consistent fear and with remarkable distress of minimization in their community and property. They are being mistreated and exploited socially, culturally, and monetarily. Legal mechanisms-related issues are associated with the negative attitudes of government, and law enforcement agencies, and the neighborhood dominance of Muslims having a conservative mindset toward Christians and towards their social, and religious events. This paper discusses the circumstances under which they have been facing serious life threats based on blasphemy, apostasy, and violent extremism. The Paper further discusses the Islamization drive which resulted in the community's underestimation and savagery of Christians. Practices of violent extremism are witnessed where churches are being defiled and their land is being taken from them on an accusation of blasphemy. Christians are confronting religious and social confrontation. This policy paper argues the failed role of law enforcement agencies to counter violent extremism, and the conservative mindset of the Muslim community toward Christians. The Paper concludes with a recommendation to stratify the ambiguity regarding on-ground timeline(s) of incidents of apostasy, and blasphemy laws in correlation with ICCPR articles
and the Pakistan Penal Code. The Paper also emphasizes the net-security framework for Christians and the re-structuring of security mechanisms for Christian communities residing in Pakistan.