Groups demand protection for minorities

In a strongly worded statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called upon the government on Tuesday to end all kinds of discrimination against religious minorities, one day after a brutal attack on a Christian school in northern Pakistan killed six people. "The targeting by gunmen of a Christian school in Murree for their latest attack on citizens highlights the increasing threat to security faced by minorities in the country," said an HRCP statement to IRIN from Lahore, capital of the populous Punjab province. "The outrageous incident also shows that despite claims to the contrary by the military regime, the threat from militants remains very real across the country," the watchdog group added. On Monday unidentified gunmen killed six people and wounded four others in a noon attack on the Murree Christian School in the village of Gharial, about 40 km northeast of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The attack has exacerbated the growing sense of insecurity amongst the expatriate community, mostly aid workers and diplomats, based in Pakistan. International media reported that the attack appeared to be against the expatriates but resistance by Pakistani staff and guards at the school prevented any casualties of foreign students and staff, reportedly close to 150 in number. The shooting, the latest in a series of attacks on foreigners and Christians, also alarmed the Christian community, whose leader said the government must take more steps to ensure their safety. "We have asked the government to beef up security of all places of worships belonging to minorities," Shahbaz Bhatti, leader of Pakistan's Minorities Alliance and a Christian rights activist, told IRIN. The HRCP said it was unfortunate that despite repeated warnings from the minorities about their security, they remained vulnerable to attacks. "The death of six persons in the attack, which was apparently directed by extremist militants at members of the Christian community, also suggests that such killers can strike at any time and at any place, presenting a continuing threat to all citizens and especially those belonging to minority groups," it added. But a Pakistani government official told IRIN that the government had taken such incidents very seriously and had already asked the police and other security agencies to be more vigilant. Witnesses said police had put up several roadblocks leading in and out of the Murree hill resort. The official also said Islamabad had already taken a number of steps to protect foreigners, including extra police deployment at embassies, churches and locations frequented by the expatriates. "But subversion can never be completely eliminated anywhere in the world," the official maintained. The HRCP said it was crucial that the government dealt with those militants, involved in terrorism, strictly and under the law. Many pro-Taliban elements in Pakistan are believed to be active after the ouster of the Islamic militia from Afghanistan last year. "It is also important to note that in the longer run, only an improvement in the worsening status of minorities can prevent them from being targeted for attack within society," it said. "To achieve this, it is essential that all kinds of discrimination against them be eliminated and steps put in place to ensure their safety and the protection of their most basic rights as citizens of Pakistan," the HRCP concluded.