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Pakistan
All Pakistani Christians face difficulties, discrimination and persecution because of their Christian identity. Some take great risks to witness to Muslims, baptize converts and gather them into churches, and many work tirelessly to equip, encourage and educate Christian youth. Some Christians boldly share the gospel and distribute God’s Word in radicalized Muslim neighborhoods and cities, which in some cases are home to Islamic extremist groups like the Taliban. Believers are commonly accused of blasphemy against Islam and arrested. Most Christians are treated as second-class citizens and are forced to work long hours in labor-intensive jobs while being oppressed by schemes that keep them in bondage to their employers. Violence against Christians has also increased in recent years.
Major Religion
Approximately 98 percent of Pakistanis are Sunni and Sufi Muslims. Pakistan underreports its Christian population, so accurate statistics are unavailable. However, there are just over 2.1 million Pakistani Christians, which is nearly 2 percent of the nation’s population.
Persecutor
Both Christian converts from Islam and Pakistanis born into Christian families are persecuted by their communities, Islamic extremist groups and the government. Violence against Christians is on the increase.
WHAT IT MEANS TO FOLLOW CHRIST IN PAKISTAN
Because of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, Christians are at constant risk of being falsely accused of blaspheming Islam, the Quran or Muhammad, and they receive harsh punishments when convicted. Street evangelism is legal under Pakistani law, and several bold evangelists take advantage of the opportunity to share the gospel publicly. Many Christians live together in closed neighborhoods known as colonies, which provide a measure of security amid the widespread oppression. Still, several large-scale attacks have occurred in these areas in recent years, including some during Christmas. Most Christians are trapped in a cycle of poor education and poverty. Often, the only jobs they can get amount to indentured servitude in brick kilns or as street sweepers or sewage workers. Christians have been imprisoned for years under the country’s blasphemy laws, and many of those have been killed or forced to permanently flee the country upon release from prison. Recently, an increased number of teenage girls have been abducted by older Muslim men and forced into Islamic marriages, a practice in which the government remains complicit.
Access to Bibles
Bibles can be legally printed and distributed in Pakistan. However, some Islamist groups oppose the Bible. Christians living in rural, tribal and mountainous areas have little access to God’s Word, and translation efforts are ongoing. Give Bibles
VOM Work
VOM supports outreach in difficult areas, training for local pastors and evangelists, and immediate aid to victims of persecution. VOM also supports Bible distributions in various formats, with a focus on the most difficult areas. Give to VOM’s Global Ministry
Pray for Pakistan
- Pray for the safety of Bible distributors, who carry on the work through difficult and dangerous conditions.
- Ask the Lord to protect Christians who have been imprisoned and violently threatened over allegations of blasphemy.
- Pray that Christians in Jaranwala, where a destructive mob targeted them in 2023, will stand firm and rebuild.
- Praise the Lord for pastors' retreats that provide healing and encouragement for persecuted church leaders.
- Pray for healing and safety for Naila, who was severely beaten for sharing the gospel.
