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Pakistani bishop calls for justice for Shahbaz Bhatti

A Pakistani bishop is calling for justice for Christian human rights campaigner Shahbaz Bhatti almost two years after he was killed. Bishop Sebastian Shaw, Apostolic Administrator of Lahore, is urging his country's government to catch the killers. Mr Bhatti, federal minister for minority affairs, was murdered in Islamabad on March 2nd, 2011 after calling for clemency for Asia Bibi, the first woman to be sentenced to death under the country's blasphemy laws. Mr Bhatti was shot dead by gunmen who ambushed his car in broad daylight in the capital, Islamabad. Police said he was travelling to work through a residential district when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets. Mr Bhatti had received death threats for urging reform to blasphemy laws. Abid Malik, who was arrested on suspicion of Mr Bhatti's murder, was cleared of the charge in February 2012.

Bishop Sebastian Shaw from the Archdiocese of Lahore told Premier's Marcus Jones on the News Hour how Christians there are feeling:

Bishop Shaw is also supporting a multi-faith event being held in London on Saturday, March 3rd, remembering Mr Bhatti and calling for an end to the suffering caused by Pakistan's blasphemy laws. The day's events will begin with a service at 11am outside the Pakistan High Commission in Knightsbridge.

This will be followed by the presentation of a petition to Downing Street and the day concludes with an inter-faith peace concert in Trafalgar Square starting at 3pm. Bishop Shaw's plea for Mr Bhatti's killers to be caught was echoed by Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association.

Mr Chowdhry said:

"We have to make sure that our main focus is justice. Those who killed Shahbaz have not been brought to justice.

"The Pakistan government has a lot to answer for. The fact that the killers have so far escaped justice is a blight on Pakistan. 

"We should highlight the need that something needs to be done."

Mr Chowdhry will be one of the speakers on 3rd March - along with Aid to the Church in Need (UK)'s John Pontifex, who has travelled widely in Pakistan seeing first hand the problems faced by the country's Christians. Speakers from non-Christian organisations include Upkar Rai of the British Sikh Council, Ranbir Singh of the Hindu Human Rights Group and Imam Dr Hargey of the Oxford Islamic Congregation.

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