Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid promises building ‘Christian Colony’ in Islamabad

Noticing the abysmal condition Pakistan’s Christian community were living in, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Thursday promised to build a designated colony for the minority group in Islamabad.

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Addressing a ceremony related to Christmas and New Year in the federal capital, he said the Christian community was living in abysmal living conditions in some areas of Pakistan.

The interior minister also announced the regularisation of over 500 contractual Christian workers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in light of the court orders.

“Only a Christian worker will be recruited on the remaining vacant seats as well”, he assured.

The minister said that after the tragic Sialkot incident, he was frequently attending the ceremonies organised by the Christian community.

#Live: Interior Minister @ShkhRasheed addressing a ceremony in Islamabad https://t.co/t0nNuvz3Pv

— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) December 23, 2021

“The incident has left us ashamed, and it has shown us as extremists before the world. The Sialkot incident is still hurting Pakistan.”

The minister said that a Christian worker not receiving his or her salary by December 25 could contact him directly.

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Several people were arrested in Pakistan after a Sri Lankan factory manager was beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob who accused him of blasphemy earlier this month. The vigilante attack caused outrage, with Prime Minister Imran Khan calling it a “day of shame for Pakistan”.