Bishop Kamran says it is very ironic that rather than sending a Christian representative to a prominent Christian religious ritual, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a Hindu and a Sikh – Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kheal Das Kohistan along with Punjab’s Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora
Lahore Bishop Nadeem Kamran has come down hard upon the Federal government’s move to send non-Christian members as delegates to the Vatican for the oath-taking of the new Pope Leo, terming it “absurd and offensive.”
Bishop Kamran commented, “It is very ironic that rather than sending a Christian representative to a prominent Christian religious ritual, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a Hindu and a Sikh – Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kheal Das Kohistan along with Punjab’s Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora,”.
He pointed out that having a Christian delegate present would have delivered a strong message of religious freedom for the Christian minority in Pakistan to the world. “Sending non-Christians to an exclusively Christian event is not merely a mockery of the Christian community but is also very hurtful,” he added. “The Prime Minister owes an apology to the Christian nation.
Emphasizing the long-standing service of Christians in Pakistan, Bishop Kamran asserted, “The Christian nation has been serving the country in education and healthcare even before Pakistan was formed.
Today, some of the finest schools in the country and mission hospitals are owned and operated by Christian missions. However, Christians do not feel as secure or as protected as other minorities in Pakistan.”
He asserted that such state decisions merely encourage resentment and an increasingly heightened sense of alienation among the Christian community, which ought to be realized as an understandable outcome of systemic neglect.
On the issue of forced conversions, Bishop Kamran expressed concern over the manipulation of young Christian girls. “How can a 17-year-old girl suddenly fall in love with a 40-year-old man and also convert her religion? Especially when there are plenty of young men within her own community? Everyone knows what’s really happening, but silence is maintained due to political expediency – and that silence is increasing our sense of insecurity.”
He ended by citing repeated assaults on Christian communities, including the destruction of homes and churches, stating, “We still live in fear, never knowing when or where something might happen.” He urged the government to do more to provide Christians with security and state inclusion.