LAHORE: Following the provincial government’s directive asking churches to make provisions to ensure security on their premises, Punjab Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs, Ejaz Alam Augustine denied the notion on Tuesday that failure to do so could lead to their closure.
“I have sought an explanation from the Home Department on why it has used words like ‘closure’ and ‘seal’ (in the memo)? No church will be closed or sealed. The government will help church administrations improve their security, wherever required,” he told Arab News.
The government of Punjab had issued a letter earlier this month warning churches to make the necessary arrangements by the end of March or risk closure. The notice has irked Christians in Pakistan with several saying that the authorities were shirking their responsibility by not protecting minorities.
Augustine said that the notice had been issued to “sensitize” church administrations on security issues since many of them had not made necessary arrangements to protect themselves despite several requests.
There are about 70 huge churches in Lahore, the capital city of the Punjab province, and more than 200 smaller ones. Major churches have already adopted several security measures using their own resources which include building bunkers and installing security cameras, he said.
“We have received threat alerts indicating that some of these churches may be targeted by miscreants. The letter has been issued so that church authorities adopt security measures on a priority basis,” he added.
Punjab government Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs, Ejaz Alam Augustine, confirmed the contents of the notification, saying that it was to “sensitize” church administrations on security issues since many of them had not made necessary arrangements to protect themselves despite repeated requests.
“We have received threat alerts indicating that some of these churches may be targeted by miscreants. The letter has been issued so that church authorities adopt security measures on a priority basis,” he told Arab News.
The Punjab Home Department, however, said it had not received any communiqué from the Ministry of Minorities Affairs.
“We have not received any letter from them,” Muhammad Basharat Raja, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, said while talking to Arab News. “If we get such a letter, we will respond within the ambit of law.”
Meanwhile, the church authorities analyzed the issue from a different lens. “The Punjab government is not only admitting its negligence but also violating the decision of the Supreme Court that has instructed the government to provide security to all religious places in the country,” Joseph Francis, National Director at the Center for Legal Assistance and Settlement, told Arab News.
In June 2014, the apex court had directed the federal and provincial governments to set up a special taskforce to protect places of worship belonging to non-Muslim citizens. “The government has failed to set up that taskforce till this moment,” Francis said.
Shunila Ruth, a Christian lawmaker from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, said that the government was taking all necessary measures to ensure the security of non-Muslim citizens but admitted that it was not possible to provide manpower to such a large number of churches.
“The number of churches in the province is very big and it is not possible to provide government force to every church. The community should also take measures for its security,” Ruth told Arab News.
Senior Pastor Shahid Meraj, dean of the Lahore Cathedral, said that it was “indecent” of the government to threaten churches with closure, even as he added that it was the shared responsibly of the government and the Christian community to take protective measures.
“Responsibility cannot be fixed on one side— government or the church— as it is the duty of both to make security arrangements,” he said. “The churches have taken protective measures. The government should play its role too. The word closure of churches on any account is indecent.”
However, another member of the community added that it lacked the funds to ensure the provision of safety measures. “The Christian community does not have enough resources and government should make all arrangements for the protection of churches,” James Channan, a priest, said. “The government cannot shift its responsibility to the clergy.”
‘No church will be closed or sealed,’ says Punjab HR Minister
‘No church will be closed or sealed,’ says Punjab HR Minister
- Punjab government had earlier warned churches to manage their security or risk closure
- Ministry of Minorities Affairs claims the warning violates Supreme Court’s directives
Pakistan joins OIC, Islamic nations to reject Israel’s recognition of Somaliland
- Foreign ministers of 21 Islamic nations, OIC issue joint statement to condemn Israel’s move to recognize breakaway African region
- Joint statement describes Israel’s move as a “grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter“
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday joined the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other Arab and Islamic nations in condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a breakaway African region, calling it a violation of international law and reaffirming its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.
Israel this week announced it had recognized Somaliland — a self-declared region that broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not previously been recognized by any United Nations member state — triggering condemnation from Somalia and criticism from regional bodies.
The joint statement shared by Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Sunday was endorsed by the foreign ministers of 20 other Muslim countries including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Qatar, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Türkiye, Yemen and others as well as the OIC.
“Their unequivocal rejection of Israel’s recognition of the ‘Somaliland’ region of the Federal Republic of Somalia on 26 December 2025, given the serious repercussions of such unprecedented measure on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and its serious effects on international peace and security as a whole, which also reflects Israel’s full and blatant disregard to international law,” the joint statement said.
The statement said Israel’s recognition constitutes a “grave violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter,” pointing out that it reflects Tel Aviv’s expansionist agenda.
The Muslim states said they reject any measures that undermine Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity or sovereignty over its entire territory.
“The full rejection of any potential link between such a measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land, which is unequivocally rejected in any form as a matter of principle,” the statement said.
The statement was referencing international media reports earlier this year that said Israel and the US had reached out to East African states, including Somaliland, to take in Palestinians from Gaza.
Pakistan’s foreign office on Saturday issued a separate statement condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.
“Pakistan strongly condemns any attempts to undermine the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia, and rejects, in this regard, the announcement made by Israel recognizing the independence of the so-called Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” the foreign office had said.
Somalia’s government has said Israel’s recognition of Somaliland violates its sovereignty, while the African Union has opposed unilateral recognition of breakaway regions on the continent.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday his country had recognized Somaliland “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” referring to US-brokered deals that helped establish ties between Israel and Arab states.
