Pakistanis protest death of Christian girl

(January 26, 2010) Citizens in Pakistan are protesting the violent death of a 12-year-old Christian girl who was reportedly raped and tortured by her employer. Shazia Bashir, from a very poor Catholic family who worked as a servant for Chaudry Muhammad Neem, a rich lawyer in Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province, died on Friday in a hospital in Lahore. Her employer reportedly tried to buy the parents' silence, offering them 20,000 rupees. Pakistan’s Catholic Bishops’ National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) has strongly condemned the murder, insisting the government act to enforce child labour laws in the country and bring the culprits to justice through a speedy course of action. NCJP also demanded the government immediately proceed with legislation on the ‘Domestic Violence Bill’ to help the situation, explaining that growing poverty and unemployment were the primary contributors to this situation. Many Christians and Muslims on Saturday protested outside the Punjab Assembly for 3 hours, demanding action against the alleged killers. Thousands of people, including Christian leaders of all confessions, attended Bashir’s funeral on Monday. Many Muslims also expressed their solidarity. Christians, Hindus and other minorities combined make up 5% of Pakistan's more than 176 million mostly Muslim population.