12 October 2016

CHRISTIAN CRACKDOWN: Pakistan bans TV stations in sweeping 'attack on religious freedom'

Pakistan, home to some 2.8million christians, ordered the censoring of pro-Christian programmes after the nation's TV regulatory body declared them illegal.

One censored station, Catholic TV, broadcasted from Lahore where 42 adult Christians and 30 children were killed in a suicide blast while celebrating Easter last March.

Catholic TV founder Father Morris Jalal said: "As citizens, Christians have the right to practice their religion, but if they block you, it means not all citizens are equal.

"When someone bans the expression of faith, which is a fundamental right, there is persecution."

The move to ban the stations leaves Pakistan's Christian minority with no public media presence after 17 years of having been allowed to broadcast across the country.

Father Jalal added: "We must protest this decision, and we hope the West does it as well." [Daily Express] Read more