jeaybhutto
Senator (1k+ posts)
A 0.9 million-strong Christian community, mainly residing in central Punjab, forms the dominant minority within the province. Unlike the Sikhs and Hindus, who have a thin presence, the Christians are the focal minority group that election hopefuls hungrily seek out to help sweep them into parliament since the 2002 general elections, their votes have played a vital role.
Pakistan Peoples Partys former MPA Pervez Rafique has said that this time around Christians are determined to cast their vote in favour of the PPP.
According to him, previous polls have shown that the community casts votes keeping in view the national circumstances and the political parties policies towards minorities. In 2002, the Christians in Lahore supported Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran head Dr Tahirul Qadri, contesting on behalf of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek party. Then, in 2008, the Christian vote bank was split between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and both parties benefited from the group.
Various Christian leaders told The Express Tribune that, at present, the community resents PML-Ns rightwing policies and its nexus with religio-political parties. During the partys five year tenure in the Punjab government, the Christian community faced a lot of hardships it had never faced before.
Christians were attacked and their properties set on fire in the Gojra incident in Faisalabad, the Joseph Colony episode in Lahore, and the Shanti Nagar ruckus in Khanewal. Furthermore, a Christian youth in Sialkot, imprisoned under Article 295 C, was killed in jail. As a protest, all houses of the Christian community were burnt. Additionally, the killing of two young Christians within the Faisalabad court premises fuelled feelings of bitterness towards the PML-N.
Elaborating more on why the community will vote for the PPP, Rafique said that the partys slain governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, sacrificed his life for a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi. Furthermore, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by the Taliban, leading the community to further feel that PPP deserves their support the most.
Pakistan Peoples Partys former MPA Pervez Rafique has said that this time around Christians are determined to cast their vote in favour of the PPP.
According to him, previous polls have shown that the community casts votes keeping in view the national circumstances and the political parties policies towards minorities. In 2002, the Christians in Lahore supported Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran head Dr Tahirul Qadri, contesting on behalf of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek party. Then, in 2008, the Christian vote bank was split between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and both parties benefited from the group.
Various Christian leaders told The Express Tribune that, at present, the community resents PML-Ns rightwing policies and its nexus with religio-political parties. During the partys five year tenure in the Punjab government, the Christian community faced a lot of hardships it had never faced before.
Christians were attacked and their properties set on fire in the Gojra incident in Faisalabad, the Joseph Colony episode in Lahore, and the Shanti Nagar ruckus in Khanewal. Furthermore, a Christian youth in Sialkot, imprisoned under Article 295 C, was killed in jail. As a protest, all houses of the Christian community were burnt. Additionally, the killing of two young Christians within the Faisalabad court premises fuelled feelings of bitterness towards the PML-N.
Elaborating more on why the community will vote for the PPP, Rafique said that the partys slain governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, sacrificed his life for a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi. Furthermore, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by the Taliban, leading the community to further feel that PPP deserves their support the most.
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