Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has allowed six Christian churches to reopen, some two weeks after their forced closure over alleged security threats, minority representatives said. The home-based churches are in Abbottabad, the city where Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was found and killed in a raid by U.S. Navy Seal commandos in 2011.
The surprise ban, which came shortly after the U.S. placed Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violation of religious freedom, angered minority leaders and rights activists who called the move discriminatory.
The ban was overturned by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Speaker Asad Qaiser when the matter was taken up by opposition law-makers in the provincial assembly.
“All churches have got verbal permission to reopen and worship according to their religious faith and beliefs. We are expecting to get a written order soon,” Pastor Christopher Shakar said in a statement.
“We are grateful to everyone for being with us when we were facing difficulties to worship our Lord. God has proven once again He is always with us.”
According to the pastor, Sunday Mass was also held at the churches.
Basharat Khokhar, a minority rights activist, had condemned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for its prejudicial behaviour toward religious minorities.
“On one hand, the government wants to pay billions of rupees to Muslim clerics, while on the other hand it is shutting down Christian worship places,” Khokhar said.
On Jan. 18, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak approved a plan to provide a monthly stipend of 10,000 rupees (US$100) to thousands of Muslim prayer leaders in a scheme that will cost 3 billion rupees.
