Pakistan: Rights body raises alarm over brutal murder of another Christian youth

Islamabad, Aug 13 (IANS) A leading minority rights group on Wednesday drew attention to the cold-blooded murder of a Pakistani youth from the Christian community in Sialkot city of Punjab province amid an escalating wave of violence against the religious minorities in Pakistan.

The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) mentioned that 25-year-old Habroon C Qaiser, a member of a respected political family in Pakistan, who was dedicated to the values of "community, faith, and dignity", had his life stolen — a tragedy that now demands justice.

"This was not just a murder. This was a message. And that message is chilling: that minorities in Pakistan can be targetted without fear of consequence. For Pakistan's Christians, Habroon's killing is a painful reminder that they live in constant danger. Every church attack, every forced conversion, every hate-fueled assault chips away at their sense of safety. This latest act of violence is not an isolated tragedy — it is part of a relentless pattern that has gone on for decades," read a statement issued by the VOPM.

Pastor Imran Amanat, one of the most prominent voices for minority rights in Pakistan, said that he will not allow this case to vanish into the ever growing list of "unsolved crimes".

"We are not mourning quietly in the shadows. We demand justice. And we will keep demanding until the murderers are behind bars. This was not just an attack on Habroon, but on the safety, dignity, and very existence of our community," VOPM quoted Amanat as saying.

The rights group said it cannot afford to wait for another funeral to raise its voice, urging the international community to act immediately, "not with hollow statements, but with real pressure on the Pakistani government". It also called on diplomatic channels, human rights watchdogs, and global church networks to demand "accountability and protection for religious minorities".

Slamming the Pakistani authorities, the VOPM highlighted that for years their assurances to safeguard the minorities amounted to nothing "more than political theatre".

It warned that "if the killers of Habroon C Qaiser are not found and punished swiftly, it will send a clear signal to extremists that minorities are fair game".

--IANS

scor/as