A protest calling on international governments to protect religious minorities in Pakistan will be taking place outside of Pakistan's High Commission in London on April 2. The protest is being held in collaboration with other activist organizations, and comes after 72 people were killed during a suicide bomb attack on Easter Sunday in Pakistan.
"The horrors of the Easter massacre, deliberately targeting children enjoying the high-point of the Easter celebrations, have shocked the globe. Jesus' resurrection from the tomb will be a focus of this event and will be prayerfully reflected upon. We will also have speakers from various religious backgrounds calling for the unity of mankind against oppressors," said Wilson Chowdhry, BPCA chairman.
The BPCA has also launched an online petition to governments of Pakistan, India, Britain, and the US, which has been signed by over 700 people with a target to reach 1 million people.
"We call on the Pakistani Government to clamp down on extremists in their country. Those involved in this latest bomb attack must be caught and brought to justice. Moreover each family affected by this attack should be compensated that they may try to rebuild their shattered lives. We call on the Pakistani Government to remove discrimination and persecution of minorities from the context of their laws and constitution and to introduce a new national curriculum that no longer demonizes or caricatures Pakistani Christians," the petition says.
Islamist fundamentalist group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the bombing which killed 72, mostly women and children, and wounded over 320. The Pakistani army detained over 5,000 suspects, and released most of them, but is holding 216 for further investigation in connection with the attack.
The BPCA has started an online donation page to raise funds for the families of the slain and the wounded.
"We have set up a disaster recovery appeal to help and assist these families. Our donations will help secure medical supplies and pay for hospital treatments, pay for funeral costs and help with the long term rehabilitation and trauma counseling of victims," the donation page reads.
