Violence Against Pakistani Christians on the Rise

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Aug 15, 2014

Violence Against Pakistani Christians on the Rise

Christians in Pakistan are facing more religiously-motivated violence and persecution than previous years. In a new report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said that 128 Pakistani Christians have died in the last year from targeted acts of violence. 

The group reported that between June 2012 and June 2013, seven Christians were killed as a result of religious violence. The following year, 128 Christians lost their lives for their religion. The report cited the attack on All Saints Church in September for the heightened statistic, where 119 people were killed by an Islamic extremist group connected to the Taliban. 

“The findings of the Project show that religious-based violence continues to persist, with little to no effective Pakistani government response at federal, provincial, or local levels," the report read.

"While the attacks occurred in the context of general episodes of violence confronting the entire country, the overall climate for religious freedom continues to deteriorate... Regarding attacks on religious groups, the government failed to take steps to hold perpetrators accountable or protect the vulnerable."

Pakistan currently holds the eighth position Open Doors’ list of countries that have the highest rate of Christian persecution. 

Publication date: August 15, 2014



Violence Against Pakistani Christians on the Rise