saveourchurches

<p><strong>The Image shows St Andrews Church, built in 1860. &nbsp;One of four churches the Government of Pakistan has proposed to demolish to make way for an undesired metro-line.</strong></p><p>In a flagrant disregard for the rights for religious freedom of the Christian Minority in Pakistan, the Lahore Development Agency a government department have proposed to demolish four Christian churches to develop and undesired metro underground rail systems with Orange Lines.</p><p>We the undersigned Petition the Pakistani Government to stop this malicious targeting of Christians that underlines existing genocidal contempt for minorities.</p><p>We petition UNESCO to intervene and save these churches all of which pre-date Pakistan and have significant heritage value, especially with regards to a persecuted Christian community.</p><p>We also Petition nations in the West such as Britain and the US to use their foreign aid budget to save these for churches, by levering a change in this obviously Christianophobic targeting. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The government of Pakistan has always been indifferent to the plight of Pakistani Christians and other minorities.&nbsp; Various departments have promulgated job adverts for sewage jobs, janitors and cleaners for Christian applicants only. &nbsp;When questioned on this practice they have declared the process one that cares for 'illiterate minorities' and act of 'positive discrimination' many in the west will be sickened to hear, disturbed to learn about, no doubt. &nbsp;But that is just scratching the surface. &nbsp;Only a few days ago Christians in Lahore protested over plans to rid Pakistan of four of its oldest heritage sites, churches that were established early during the British Raj. Under the Antiquities Act 1975, no development schemes and new constructions can be undertaken near a heritage site, unless a distance of 200 hundred feet is maintained, a guideline that has been ignored.&nbsp; <br /><br />One church, St Andrew's Presbyterian church, was founded in 1860 and predates Pakistan.&nbsp; The pastor, Pastor Hanook, spoke to the BPCA and advised us that the church was not consulted by either the Lahore Development Agency (LDA) or the Traffic Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (TETPA), both of whom are government departments. &nbsp;In fact, the clergy and parishioners were rudely informed of the plans when labourers, without any approval or notification letter, started drawing lines around their property. &nbsp;This latest government betrayal occurred one Sunday after church service, and parishioners were barged out of the way for the workmen to undertake the demarcation. &nbsp;The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has stayed silent on this matter much as it did while ancient Christian monuments and buildings were eradicated from IS held zones. Their silence on the destruction in Iraq was maligned, despite a lack of any influence over IS. Their silence on this proposed destruction in Pakistan, a country where they are already funding protection of several Muslim heritage sites, reeks of a lack of impetus, fortitude, and desire. &nbsp;The removal of these church buildings is a clear attempt at annihilating Christianity from Pakistan and can only be viewed as one prong of a multifaceted approach to an ongoing genocide in Pakistan.</p>