Pakistani Christians rally for justice
Pakistani Christians burned tyres and rallied for justice on Thursday, a day after Islamist militants assassinated a Catholic government minister who had braved death threats to speak out in their defence.The government, which has been accused of appeasing hardliners, vowed to tackle the threat, but officials routinely make such promises after high-profile attacks and questions remain over its will to counter militants once supported by the state.Shahbaz Bhatti, 42, was gunned down in the capital, Islamabad, apparently because he had urged Pakistan to reform harsh laws that impose the death penalty for insulting Islam.
More than 40,000 people rallied in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi on Sunday, police said, against the controversial reform of a Blasphemy Law that was behind the killing of a senior politician.Photo by Majid Hussain.