Author: Editor

Mansoor Gill with some of the food supplies to be distributed to local victims of the Peshawar bombings. Prem Masih has lost three grandsons Tony, Amir, Zamir and one granddaughter Prem masih is holding one of his grandson picture whose name is Zamir who lost his life in the bomb blast. The loss of three children from this family has caused great sorrow. The BPCA will be continuing its relief fund to help this beleaguered community. Donations will pay towards false limbs, support for orphaned children and counseling for families grieving for the bereaved and injured.If you would like to…

Food Gifts were distributed by the BPCA at several locations including Narowal, this week. The area has a significant Christian Community many of whom have lost the use of their mud houses, which were completely washed away in the floods. The families living there have made a number of temporary accommodations.  We have been advised that one of the walls of the local church has subsided as a consequence of the floods and the local school is currently out of action.  Families have put their children to work while the Government School has been closed to earn extra income to…

Christian homes ravaged by the floods. Desperate Christians living in the slum area of G-7/3 Islamabad are calling for assistance after the loss of their household items and stored foods.   Many of the residents scrape a living working in fields and others as domestic labour or other manual work.  The deluge has temporarily stopped their ability to earn and many families rely on a daily wage to sustain themselves.  Tools for trade have been swept away in the floods and community morale has reached its lowest ebb. The flooding in the area was exacerbated by the city mosque who emptied…

Frightened children surround their father as they travel in ignominious asylum seeker caged bus. In a raid on asylum seekers the extent of which we have not seen since 2015 48 Pakistani Christians were arrested. Proud of their achievement Thai Police described the positive clean up operation to a local media group, saying ‘Children are among 48 Pakistani nationals rounded up by Bangkok Immigration police this week at an apartment in the Bang Na district. Most had overstayed their visas while several didn’t have any travel documents at all.’ Thai police authorities also stated that they believed that none of the…

Image of BPCA Protest – our high profile campaigns for justice seem to be having some effect! The British Pakistani Christian Association(BPCA) is pleased to announce a successful appeal opposing a very unfair asylum decision against a persecuted Pakistan Christian. The decision was made in late December, but we have waited to announce it because there was still a window for the Secretary of State to appeal – this window has now passed. The BPCA had been particularly concerned with this case as it was one of several where the UK Border Agency (UKBA) had rejected the application on very…

Image: Damage after fatal bomb attack on Karachi Catholics Continuing on from Part 1 (click here) where we talked about the circumstances of Mrs DZ’s initial rejection and her appeal   The family launched another appeal, which again was denied, even though they supplied further evidence, including a letter from their parish priest, Father John Joseph Paul, stating that Mrs DZ’s husband was an active street evangelist who had a stall selling Christian books. This was simply rejected as not relevant by appealing to the earlier appeal judges ridiculous assertion that because he gave his trade as an electrical engineer…

Image of Arnold Archie Dass recently killed in the same neighbourhood as the asylum seeker refused asylum. BPCA wishes to highlight yet another case where we consider the UKBA to have reached an unfair decision to reject an asylum claim of a Pakistani Christian family who have fled religious persecution and threats. The case is that of Mrs DZ (name not allowed to be published due to legal reasons) and her family (husband and teenage son) who come from Karachi. Her husband, an electrical engineer / teacher, also did evangelistic work by manning a stall selling Christian books and pamphlets.…

Rupee news has written a very interesting article which shows a letter of support from Akbar Navees a prominent Muslim. It illustrates the strength of passion that has been released as consequence of the Asia Bibi Case. Moreover, such strong words of support from leading Muslims highlights that we need to re-evaluate our perceptions of religious extremism in Pakistan. Now is a time to collaborate with our religious counterparts in Pakistan and to challenge this government and proceeding governments to focus on improving the lot for all its people. I have previously uploaded a letter of support from Leader of…

Asia Bibi the innocent mother of 5 who has been handed a death sentence for proclaiming her faith. This morning our Pakistan delegate Juliet Chowdhry spoke with both Sohail Johnson of Release International and Ashiq Masih (husband of Asia Bibi). The two of them seemed in good mood and are grateful for the support that the international community of all faiths is showing to Asia and her family. A former Session Court Judge (who’s name we will not publish) is taking up the case and is confident that he will be able to revert the decision. In the meanwhile the…

Asia Bibi comforted her children after the devastating court ruling. A Christian woman in Pakistan has been sentenced to death by hanging after she was convicted of allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed. Asia was also fined £728 – the equivalent of two-and-a half years’ salary for an unskilled worker. Asia, who is from Ittanwali in Punjab province, laboured in the fields for a Muslim landlord. She was arrested after a heated discussion about religion with her fellow farm workers. Hers was one of only three Christian families in the village. Asia Bibi, who is 45 years of age and has…