Pakistan Muslims, Christians demand protection for Christians

Church attacks in Lahore, last Sunday, "have made Pakistan's Christian community feel more vulnerable”, said Mohammad Hanif, a Muslim and district coordinator for the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-PK) in Pakpattan city, some 184 kilometres southwest of Lahore.  Speaking to AsiaNews, he explained that the lynching of two innocent Muslims by an angry Christian mob in reaction to the twin suicide attacks near two Lahore churches shows that people are tired of the current situation and have no confidence in public institutions, since they never provide justice for minorities. Hanif was among some 300 social activists and members of both communities, who took part in Thursday’s peaceful demonstration against the attacks in Lahore.  With Christian and Islamic religious leaders among the participants, the march set off from the Pakpattan Press Club towards the District Police.   A delegation of ten people met with law enforcement officials and expressed their concerns about the attitude of the police towards minorities, insisting on the need to provide adequate security to churches and other Christian places of worship.  A police official apologized for police behaviour and offered full cooperation with minorities. (Source: AsiaNews)