Shafique Khokhar

Because of the lockdown imposed for health reasons, Catholics feared they would be deprived of Mass and other devotional practices. Thanks to Facebook, YouTube and local cable TV, many were able to follow religious services from home. Some priests walked the streets of their parish carrying a large crucifix,

Without his intervention 120 families would starve. The village mosque had refused to distribute aid to Christians. Shakeel Ahmed rescued them by contacting some Catholic organizations. With the coronavirus quarantine, a lot of day workers lose their jobs.

Due to government restrictions, he was fired and fell ill. He worked on a gas pump and earned 600-700 rupees / less than $ 5 a day. Post mortem reveals he was not suffering from coronavirus. But the family didn't have the money to go to the doctor. The parish will guarantee food and education to the deceased's family.

The Saylani Welfare International Trust was founded in 1999 to support homeless people and seasonal workers. For Muslim, turning non-Muslims away goes “beyond the limits”. Hindu lawmaker donates her salary to emergency fund.

About 80-90 per cent of sanitation workers are Christian as few other jobs are available to them. The government does not provide them with the safety gear needed to do their work. Women work barefoot. Sanitation workers do not use gloves to empty sewers or manholes. They deserve as much respect asd doctors and paramedical staff. Doctors in Punjab refuse to work for lack of protective measures.

Bishops and clergymen organise their services on Facebook and YouTube. Capuchin monk notes that only churches are closed; families are united in prayer. Panaflex boards are placed at the doors of Karachi churches. Bangladeshi authorities postpone school exams.

The Catholic organisation suspends all its activities to prevent contagion. Pakistan has 302 confirmed cases. In Punjab, university hostels have been turned into quarantine centres. Church calls for prayers for the sick and “for the discovery of an effective vaccine”.

So far, 184 people have been infected in Pakistan. Card Coutts calls on the faithful to “continue praying and fasting” for the sick to get better. Local parishes are on high alter. Caritas Karachi held a seminar on how to prevent infections and protect human health.

Wing Commander Noman Akram was among the most experienced PAF pilots. His F-16 fighter lost altitude during rehearsals for Republic Day. Priest says Pakistanis are “proud to have such officers in our armed forces, always ready to save lives”.

Doctors from the Ahsas-e-Insaniat association treated 650 patients. Cataract surgery costs US$300-400. Ashiq Masih was waiting for five months for an operation, but had no money to pay. Globally, 1.6 billion people do not have access to basic health services.

After the recent violence in Delhi, Card. Joseph Coutts and Fr. Saleh Diego ask the Indian government to protect all citizens. A Hindu is in danger of dying after saving his Muslim neighbors. Pakistani conservatives appreciate the Church's initiative. Hope for a better coexistence also in Pakistan.

The young man was killed by Muslim fanatics for “soiling” the water of a tube-well pool. Released from custody, the suspects are threatening to treat other Christians in the village the same way. The victim was tortured with electric cables and a heated rod. Family and friends accuse the police of covering up for the culprits.