A Christian priest was shot dead by gunmen in Pakistan’s Peshawar town on Sunday. Pastor William Siraj was gunned down as he headed home from mass with two fellow priests, one of whom, Naeem Patrick, was also wounded. While no one has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, the killing – carried out by two men on motorbikes – comes amidst a rise in jihadist attacks in Pakistan.
Most of the recent spate in jihadist violence is claimed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which last month orchestrated a gun raid at a check-post in Islamabad, the country’s capital. The Pakistani Taliban, and their affiliates, have been encouraged by the triumph of their Afghan counterparts in Kabul. They have also been emboldened by the Pakistani state’s softly-softly approach towards jihadis.
While Christians continue to come under attack and flee Pakistan for safety overseas, Imran Khan’s government buries its head in the sand
Christians – who make up less than two per cent of the population in Pakistan – are inevitably the most vulnerable to the Taliban-led jihadi terror. Churches
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