Qaiser Felix

To discover talents for the new Catholic channels – a television and radio – the archdiocese of Karachi organized a project thanks to which many creative people could display their abilities.

On the eighth anniversary of the bishop's death, his sacrifice is being recalled across the country and once again, there are calls for abolition of this unjust and abused law.

A report by a Karachi-based NGO said the majority of victims were women. Real figures could actually be much higher. The media report only 10% of cases, as people usually keep silent out of fear.

The project was realized thanks to the efforts of a diocesan priest of Karachi, who works with "Muslim brothers and sisters" towards the setting up of a Catholic television and radio station.

Pakistani bishops told AsiaNews: "Despite violence and discrimination, we celebrated an Easter of resurrection and reconciliation. Prejudice and hatred can be transformed into new life for all through love."

Pakistani prelates describe the apocryphal text as just another stunt by Western, secular media interested only in making money with sensationalism. Card Albert Vanhoye explains that the document was elaborated by a Gnostic sect.

Archbishop of Karachi Evaristo Pinto tells AsiaNews that "our sympathies go to those who have lost their dear ones and are in mourning. Our people are with them to bring about reconciliation, harmony and unity".

Catholic students from the diocese of Faisalabad organise a series of activities for Lent to better reflect upon the Word of God and the Passion of Christ and promote peace everywhere.

Violence is escalating in the country and human rights activists and Christian campaigners are urging the forces of order to guarantee more security to persecuted minorities.

"The visible presence of Catholics during the Forum was a great joy for us," the Karachi Archbishop told AsiaNews.

The 2005 report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is out: those hardest hit by religious intolerance were the Ahmadis, but persecution persisted against Christians too, and arbitrary use of the Blasphemy Law was widespread.

The World Health Organization released statistics about tuberculosis to mark World TB Day: in Pakistan, one person is infected by TB every two minutes, and another dies every eight minutes.