As a report by AP News on 16 July 2020 explained, religious minorities in Pakistan have had a bad year, despite Prime Minister Khan claiming that Pakistan is "
tolerant". Observers blame an increase in attacks at least partly on how the government is bowing to the demands of radical Islamic clerics, including how measures to combat the Covid-19 virus are implemented, or not.
Thomas Muller, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "This is a sadly too familiar pattern. Countless Pakistani governments over the years and across the political spectrum have accommodated the wishes of radical Islamic groups, while publicly claiming tolerance and inclusion. The AP News report recounts, for example, that PM Khan frequently invites a well-known conservative cleric to his residence "˜who on national TV blamed the pandemic on women who danced and dressed scantily"."
Thomas Muller continues with a development which is unrelated to the above, but which is nevertheless important to watch: "There is increasing talk about a "˜
government minus one", as termed by The Diplomat on 8 July 2020, meaning a government without PM Khan. Much of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic has come from the Army and not from the government and it seems that the Army is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the prime minister"s performance. However, it is too soon to start speculating who might be a candidate to replace him and whether that would improve the overall situation. One thing is for sure: No matter who the prime minister is, as long as the Army sees the need to accommodate the wishes of radical Islamic groups, religious minorities (including Christians) will continue to suffer."
