Shafique Khokhar

The people arrested include a Chinese woman, who headed the syndicate, a Protestant clergymen and four others, all Christian. Young women were enticed to marry Chinese men on the promise of a better life, but ended up as prostitutes or forced to work. The Chinese woman paid for the fake marriage, but some money also went to the parents of would-be Pakistan brides.

Held in Karachi, the event was also an occasion to remember the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. The president of the association behind the initiative, who is blind, called on people to take a chance on the potential of the disabled. "We do not want to be a burden on society or our families,” he said.

Yesterday, more than 300 people attended the service in the cathedral. "Because of sick minds and their hatred for peace and Christianity,” said the vicar general, Sri Lanka “has turned instead into lamentation and suffering."

The Centre for Social Justice and the People’s Commission for Minorities Rights adopt a resolution demanding education without religious discrimination. In schools the ethics course should be an alternative to the one on the Koran, but the two are the same.

Every year in the country at least 1,000 minority girls are forced to recant their faith and convert to Islam. Christian demonstrator: "It is a disgrace that forcible conversions are not considered a violation of human rights". Activists of religious groups and civil society also demonstrated in Faisalabad.

The lecturer was head of the English department of Sadiq Egerton College in Bahawalpur. The murderer is a third year student and is a radicalized young man. He showed no regret for his gesture. Activist: "There is no doubt that Pakistan has fed the worst kind of mentality".

The incident occurred in the city’s predominantly Christian Farooq-e-Azam district. After their arrest and release, the victims went into hiding at an undisclosed location. The false charges provoked the reaction of radicals.

Nicknamed ‘Little Einstein’ for his intelligence, 14-year-old Haroon Masih, helps his mother collect rags to pay for his studies. His attacker, a Muslim pupil, was arrested.

Saima Niaz (20) and Suneha Mushtaq (11) were accused of theft by their employer. In custody, they were sexually harassed, insulted and tortured with boiling water to extract a confession, spending 13 days in jail without formal charges.

The Church and the Cecil and Iris Chudhary Foundation (CICF) support the education of Suleman, Sonia and Poonam Shazad. For their grandfather, “the true guardians of the children are the Church and the CICF”.

The Interreligious Movement for Tolerance organised the event. “We have to stand firm against those who want to break us and our brotherhood and provoke people in the name of religion,” said bishop of the Church of Pakistan.

The Christian woman was acquitted of blasphemy charges. The law provides that only the injured party can appeal against a ruling by the Supreme Court. Activist: "The judges will not change their mind".