Persecution of Pakistani Christians Reaches Alarming Level

A policeman stands guard as Christians attend a Sunday Service near the torched Saint John Church in Jaranwala on the outskirts of Faisalabad on August 20, 2023, after mob attacked several Pakistani churches over blasphemy allegations. A Muslim cleric is among a dozen people being investigated for using mosque loudspeakers to order protests against alleged blasphemy by Christians which erupted into mob violence in Pakistan earlier this week, a senior police official said. More than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches were vandalised when hundreds rampaged through a Christian neighbourhood in Jaranwala in Punjab province on August 16. (Photo by Ghazanfar MAJID / AFP)

According to the 2023 World Watch List compiled by Open Doors, Pakistan is the seventh most dangerous country for Christians in the world. There are around 4.2 million Christians in Pakistan—only 1.8 per cent of the country’s population of more than 229 million people. Pakistani Christians are considered second-class citizens and are discriminated against in every public and private life aspect.