Dokument #1235446
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
The following information was provided by
the secretary general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of
Pakistan, also the Bishop of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, in a telephone
interview with the DIRB on 9 May 1997.
The city of Rawalpindi has four Catholic
churches. For information on their names, addresses and priests,
please see the attached document sent by fax to the DIRB from the
secretary general on 10 May 1997.
Despite the volatile political climate and
pervasive fear among the population in Pakistan, members of the
Catholic community may practice their religion without fear in
Rawalpindi. The secretary general, who has been the Bishop of the
Rawalpindi-Islamabad since 1993, stated that he was aware of two
cases in which Catholics of his diocese were charged with
blasphemy. One was charged under section 295-C of the Pakistan
Penal Code's Blasphemy Law which makes defamation of the Prophet
Mohammed a criminal offence. However, this individual was acquitted
and following his acquittal, he fled to Sri Lanka. The second
individual was charged under section 295-B of the above-mentioned
law which makes any negative reference, by word or action, to the
Koran a criminal offence. This individual remains detained in a
Rawalpindi prison.
The secretary general was unaware of
incidences of arrests and sectarian violence against Catholics in
Rawalpindi since 1994.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of
additional sources consulted in researching this Information
Request.
Reference
Secretary General of Catholic Bishops
Conference of Pakistan/Bishop of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Rawalpindi,
Pakistan. 9 May 1997. Telephone interview.
Attachment
Catholic Bishops Conference of Pakistan,
Rawalpindi, Pakistan. 10 May 1997. Fax sent to DIRB by secretary
general.
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report.
1995-1996.
Amnesty International. July 1994.
Use and Abuse of Blasphemy Laws.
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices. 1994-1996.
Critique: Review of the Department
of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1994.
July 1995.
Églises d'Asie [Paris].
1995-1996.
The Encyclopedia of the Third
World. 1992.
The Europa World Year Book
1996. 1996.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
(FBIS) Daily Reports. 1994-1997.
Freedom in the World: The Annual
Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties 1994-1995.
1995.
The Herald [Karachi].
1996-1997.
Human Rights Commission in Pakistan
(HRCP). The State of Human Rights in 1996. 1997.
Human Rights Watch World
Report. 1995-1997.
Two sources consulted did not provide
information on the above-mentioned subjects.
On-line search of news articles. (NEXIS
and Internet)