PAKISTAN/ Conflicts in the government threaten Christians

"The confrontation between the Supreme Court and the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, paves the way for a victory by the Islamists of the Muslim League, the same party that was in power when the government attempted to introduce the sharia in the country." This was stated by Paul Jacob Bhatti, brother of the Christian minister Shahbaz Bhatti who was killed on March 2 by a group of terrorists, on the serious situation of tension that Pakistan is going through at this time. Speaking from Islamabad, Paul Jacob Bhatti, who succeeded his brother as president of the All Pakistan Minority Alliance, explains the reason for this dramatic turn of events and the stakes for Christians, who are a persecuted minority in the country. According to a report by the Asian Human Rights Commission, in 2011 1,800 Pakistani girls were forced to convert to Islam with the kidnapping and rape. Now the situation for Christians is likely to deteriorate further. Zardari represents the secular and liberal option in the government, open to Christians having a public role, something that the Muslim League threatens to crush.

Bhatti, what is the situation like in Pakistan and what do you expect for the future?
The situation is quite tense and complicated because of the clash between the government and the Supreme Court. The only way forward is to hold early parliamentary elections within a few weeks or, at most, a few months. The disagreements between the political and judicial systems began in 2007, when Supreme Court Judge Iftikhar Chaudhry was suspended from his duties by President Pervez Musharraf. In 2009, following demonstrations in the square in his favor, the judge was reinstated to his post. The same conflict has now been repeated between Chaudhry and the current President Zardari, reaching a point of no return in recent days.

In what sense is it a point of no return?
Unfortunately, I think that now President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will be forced to answer to charges before the Supreme Court. The judges aim to force Gilani to reopen investigations have already been archived, and the government will agree to do so despite the fact that Parliament has already expressed its opinion by stating that the executive is not obliged to yield to pressure from the judiciary. President Zardari has been accused of corruption and other crimes (for which he has already served 11 years in prison before getting an amnesty in 2007, Ed.). Under the law, however, he has immunity until the expiration of his term. The fact that the Supreme Court is supported by the opposition parties and various other vested interests in the country, while Zardari's Pakistan People's Party does not have an absolute majority in Parliament, is only making matters worse.

Is there a risk of a military coup as a result of this crisis in the government?