Persecution Prompts Christians in Pakistan to Call for Separate Province

Christians in Pakistan are responding to the persecution attacks they often endure by demanding their own province within the South Asian country – although some have questioned the likelihood of such a request being granted by the government.

"I don't have much hope that such a request would be granted," Faith McDonnell, the director of Religious Liberty Programs at the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD), shared in an email with The Christian Post on Friday.

"First, I don't think that all of the Christians of Pakistan want this. Second, I think that Islamists do not want Christians to have ANY safe place or any autonomy. They believe that Pakistan is part of the Islamic world, in fact, that all the world should be under Islam. Third, I think that this would be very problematic for the Government of Pakistan," McDonnell continued.

The IRD program director added that she believes a better answer would be for the Pakistani government to crack down on terrorists and Islamic mobs, so that the law of the country reflects the desire of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, who wanted all people to have freedom of religion. Read more