This information is not correct and based on exaggeration. According to realistic analysis the census carried out in 1997, population of Pakistan is more than 1,14 million. The population of religious minorities’ i.e. Christians, Hindus, Parses, Sikh, Buddhists and others is about 14milliom. Christians being the biggest minority are 8million and 7% of entire population of Pakistan. This is not the government or official figures rather based on some churches survey. The claim of Mr.Nazir Bhatti of Christian Congress is not authenticated and does not match the facts. He even mentioned that no census has been carried out since 1981, which is not correct, as in 1987 government of Pakistan conducted the census. Christians are 13 % of population of Pakistan. international media urged to reveal facts about christian population in Pakistan. Mr. Nazir S Bhatti, President, Pakistan Christian Congress, expressed his concern that the international media on coverage of barbaric act of terrorism of killing Christian worshipers at St. Dominic church Bahawalpur stated that christian are 1 % of population of Pakistan. It's very important to bring in the notice of international media the facts that Christians are 13 % of the population of Pakistan. We claim that in 1947 at the independence of Pakistan 5 % quota in government services was only allocated to Christians because they were 5 % of the population of Pakistan. The issue of census of Christians has been raised on all forums by the Christians of Pakistan because the Muslim majority adopted measures to hide the true figures of Christians in Pakistan to avoid their due share in the state resources. In 1971, when East Pakistan emerged as new state of Bangladesh, the majority wing of Muslim population in Pakistan, the population percentage of Christians raised up to 10 % of population of Pakistan. We wish to submit that statistical data of Christian's death and birth was collected from the 15 bishop stations of Pakistan in 1978, which confirmed the population of Christian to be 13 million. It must be noted that census have been not placed since 1981 in Pakistan. For instance, the city of Karachi demanded more seats in parliament in the national general elections of 1985 under military government of zia ul Haque. The sample census was conducted and seats of national assembly of pakistan for Karachi city were raised from 13 to 20 seats but when christian demanded the same sample census in pakistan they were refused because Muslim majority never wanted to give due share in power of the state and refused to conduct sample census in pakistan. The government of Pakistan was not sincere to allocate seats in democratic institutes proportional to their population in Pakistan. Because to safeguard constitutional rights it is very important to seek and approach to democratic institutions of state. In the first legislative assembly presided over by founder of Pakistan was of 48 seated in 1947. In this assembly the Christian have four seats and speaker of that assembly was also a Hindu minority member but unfortunately in 1970 when assembly seats were 235, only six Seats Were reserved for Christians. In 1985 national general elections house was again of 235 seats but four seats were allocated for the Christian of Pakistan after 15 years from 1970-1985 elections, the Christian seats were decreased from 6 to 4 seats. In the senate of Pakistan, Christians are provided with no presentation. The majority community had never provided the representation to Christian Proportional to the population and it was basically a denial with equal basic democratic rights in the state. In the movement of Pakistan as promised, when the house of 48 representatives can move up to 235, according to the gazette notification, that 3 percent rise in the population of Pakistan was recorded every year the decrease in Christian seats was surprising for Christians and it was agreed upon by all the Congress leaders that the proportional to population seats in assembly of Pakistan, Senate of Pakistan, provincial assemblies of all the four provinces, in the Institutes of local bodies and all of the democratic Institutes is the only solution to the problems of Christians. In the light of above facts we appeal to international media not to take Christians as 1 % of the population of pakistan because the government provided figures are not correct. The Christians are 13 % of population of Pakistan.
Nazir s Bhatti, president, PCC
www.pakistanchristiancongress.com
Editor, PCP
www.pakistanchristianpost.com
"I think that if any NGO or Church body is ready to conduct the Christian census in Pakistan and declare the data it can be very helpful for planning the uplift programmes.government hesitates to show the true data of Christian population for their interests. The Mosque leaders are the main source of violence and militant organizations in Muslim countries but these mosque leaders are somehow related to religious political groups. Thanks again for your concerns and support. Nazir s Bhatti." Above is a quote from a person who is involved with the Christian Church in Pakistan. Apparently they receive some money or other resources from their government to support their church. The amount that they receive is determined by the population. This person does not believe that the government is counting all of the Christian population. Does ICC take on projects like the one he is suggesting, serving as an impartial outside body in supervising the taking of the census? Is there anyway you can help this person? Sincerely, Marlys Doerflinger