The brother of a Pakistani Catholic politician murdered by extremists has lifted the lid on life in Pakistan for Christians and religious minorities, saying they live under the constant threat of Islamic extremism.
Peter Bhatti, brother of Shahbaz Bhatti who was murdered in 2011 for his advocacy on behalf of religious minorities, told Crux Now Christians live in fear of the country’s infamous blasphemy laws and the abduction, rape and forced conversion and marriage of young girls.
“Christians of Pakistan continue living under constant threat from extremism. There is a lot of fear because of the blasphemy laws and the forced conversions of young Christian girls. Christians don’t have any choice and they are surviving,” he said.
“Forced conversion is very common for young Christian and Hindu girls. What happens is that if any person, especially from the Muslim community, wants to fulfill their sexual desire, they approach a Christian girl in their area,” he explained.
“They abduct that girl, then they rape her, and then to cover the crime, they marry her and convert her to Islam. They present that marriage certificate to the court and then the court cannot bring that person to justice that they have raped someone and committed a crime,” he added.
Bhatti said most communities in Pakistan are struggling to some extent.
“But I don’t see any single person in Pakistan who can say, ‘Oh, I have 100% freedom. I am enjoying my country. I am enjoying my rights.’ Somehow everybody is discriminated against and lives in fear of Muslim extremism,” he said.
Bhatti was speaking to Crux Now ahead of Aid to the Church in Need’s Persecuted and Forgotten? A report on Christians oppressed for their faith 2024-2026, released Tuesday.
ACN is a pontifical foundation that supports persecuted Christians.
The report found that 10 of the 18 countries under investigation got worse during the reporting period, including Pakistan, China and Nigeria.
Shahbaz Bhatti was the Minister for Minorities in Pakistan from 2008 until his death in 2011, when he was shot at point-blank range by three Islamic terrorists. Among other things, he was particularly known for his work urging reform for Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
“So Shahbaz was fighting for equal rights, which were promised by our founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. So when he was raising his voice, he was opposed by the Muslim extremists. They told him, ‘Shut your mouth, otherwise we will shut it,'” Bhatti said.
“But he was not deterred by their threats. He believed as a Christian that life is given by God. And he knew what price he has to pay. He never abandoned the plight of his brothers and sisters, especially the Christians. In the end, he gave his life,” he added.
Bhatti said that his younger brother Shahbaz, who is a Servant of God with a cause for canonization open, was always different, even when they were children.
“From childhood, he was different. When he was absent from home, we found him accompanied with the marginalized community of our village or our city,” he explained.
“There was another time when he lost his clothes. He pretended that he misplaced them and couldn’t find them. We later found out that he gave his own clothes to the poor people who don’t have any clothes,” he said.
Crux Now‘s interview with Peter Bhatti is below, edited for clarity and length.
Crux Now: What’s it like to be a Christian in Pakistan?
Peter Bhatti: Christians of Pakistan continue living under constant threat from extremism. There is a lot of fear because of the blasphemy laws and the forced conversions of young Christian girls. Christians don’t have any choice and they are surviving.
But I don’t see any single person in Pakistan who can say, “Oh, I have 100% freedom. I am enjoying my country. I am enjoying my rights.”
Somehow everybody is discriminated against and lives in fear of Muslim extremism.
Could you just explain a little bit more about what forced conversions involves?
Forced conversion is very common for young Christian and Hindu girls. What happens is that if any person, especially from the Muslim community, wants to fulfill their sexual desire, they approach a Christian girl in their area. They abduct that girl, then they rape her, and then to cover the crime, they marry her and convert her to Islam.
They present that marriage certificate to the court and then the court cannot bring that person to justice that they have raped someone and committed a crime. So he is covered from everything.
On top of that, if the girls even get converted at gunpoint to Islam, they can’t go back to their own religion even if she is released from the abductor. So those kind of things are very common.
There is a new constitutional court in Pakistan that is making those decisions in court using Sharia law. And under that Sharia law, any woman who converts to Islam, regardless of why, gets accepted. And if she gets married with someone — it doesn’t matter how old they are — it is accepted by Islam and accepted by the courts too.
The recent case of Maria Shahbaz was a big example of this. Although all over the country, voices were raised that she is a victim and her she has to be released to her parents and not to go to the culprits. But the state ruled in favor of her culprit.
14-year-old girls are remaining with the culprit and his whole family. They are helpless because they cannot do anything against the court decision. This kind of situation is taking place.
Why was your brother killed?
Christians and other religious minorities are living under discriminatory blasphemy law, forceful conversions, a lack of equal rights, and other state discrimination such as the fact that nobody can be head of the state from the non-Muslim community.
So Shahbaz was fighting for equal rights, which were promised by our founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. So when he was raising his voice, he was opposed by the Muslim extremists. They told him, “Shut your mouth, otherwise we will shut it.”
But he was not deterred by their threats. He believed as a Christian that life is given by God. And he knew what price he has to pay. He never abandoned the plight of his brothers and sisters, especially the Christians.
In the end, he gave his life.
And what memories do you have of Shahbaz? What type of legacy has he left behind?
He was my youngest brother and from our childhood I have a lot of memories. From childhood, he was different. When he was absent from home, we found him accompanied with the marginalized community of our village or our city.
There was another time when he lost his clothes. He pretended that he misplaced them and couldn’t find them. We later found out that he gave his own clothes to the poor people who don’t have any clothes.
One Good Friday, when he was about 13, he made a commitment.
Before Jesus Christ, inspired by His crucification , he said, “Jesus Christ, you did nothing wrong, but you gave your life for my redemption and suffering. I want to follow your cross. And I want to live the rest of my life for poor and suffering people, especially those suffering because they believe in you.”
Since our childhood, he grew and got more involved with his commitment. I made an organization in Canada inspired by him. He wanted a platform where we raise our brothers and sisters’ voice on the international stage.
Is the Pakistani government doing enough to support religious minorities in Pakistan?
Pakistan government has many challenges when it comes to supporting Pakistan’s religious minorities.
Even though they have tried to do their best to help and protect the religious minorities, other forces of darkness and violence are much stronger than the government of Pakistan, which they are unable to control.
Is the wider international community doing enough to support persecuted Christians in Pakistan?
I think the international community is still not very aware about the plight of the Christians of Pakistan.
So there is a moral need there, and that’s why ACN is doing a wonderful job highlighting the plight of the Christians of Pakistan. They have released this report Persecuted and Forgotten?, and invited me from Canada to speak about the persecuted.
And this kind of strategy, advocacy, and lobbying is required to highlight the plight of the Christians of Pakistan so the international community pay attention.
I think we haven’t done a good enough job of getting the attention of the international community. That’s why it is not very focused on that.
What do you think the international community could do to make the situation better for persecuted Christians and those of other religious minorities in Pakistan?
Christians of Pakistan and religious minorities of Pakistan only have hope from the international community, not inside Pakistan. The international community can do a lot of things to help.
They can bring the community out from poverty, by increasing access to education and uplifting them. And also, united, they can raise a voice in the international lobby and show their willingness to the government of Pakistan that they want to help.
They can tell Pakistan that we need your cooperation and that it will be better for the community and the overall prosperity of Pakistan.
What are some ways the Catholic community can support persecuted Christians in Pakistan?
Three ways. First, they should pray, as a Catholic or Christian, on a daily basis and remember the Christians of Pakistan.
Secondly, they can lobby or write letters to their representative in government and inform them and show their concern about the questions of Pakistan.
Thirdly, together, they can support them financially to lift them from their poverty, as I mentioned, and support education, the healthcare system, and other needs they have.
