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Chapel built for Christians in Pakistan jail

Christian social activists together with jail officials, opened a chapel for Christian inmates at the Landhi Jail in Karachi on Aug. 5. The chapel now provides a separate place of worship to some 100 Christians who are serving their sentences and awaiting their trials in the city jail.

Karachi Central Jail | Wikimedia Commons/Farhan

According to UCANews, the construction of the chapel was funded by a non-government organization known as Angel Patient Care Services. Chairperson Samina Nawab told UCANews that Christian inmates had been asking for their help to build a chapel. "Our teams frequently visit jails and provide healthcare services to inmates irrespective of their faith," she explained.

"We are grateful to Inspector-General of Sindh Prison Nadeem Hussain Mangan for his continuous support and cooperation during the construction work and our other initiatives," Nawab added. She acknowledged the contributions of family members and pastors to fund the construction of the chapel. She said her new goal is to gather funds for the medical needs of the prisoners.

Churches, chapels, prayer halls and community centers for non-Islamic religions are normally not allowed on government property, according to the report.

Muhammad Hassan, a senior official of the jail, stated that all inmates are free to practice their religion. "There is no bar whatsoever on non-Muslim inmates worshiping," he said to UCANews.

Ishtiaq Awan, the Police Assistant Superintendent, stated in the report that Christians are normally kept with Muslim inmates but they are given separate barracks to celebrate their respective holidays.

Although freedom of religion is guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan, speaking against Islam is forbidden. Violating Pakistan's blasphemy laws may be punishable by life imprisonment or death penalty. According to a 2014 article by the BBC, the majority of those accused of blasphemy were Muslims. The article also cited that the National Commission for Justice and Peace documented 187 blasphemy cases against Christians since 1987.