Suffering Minorities

Published August 25, 2012
Pakistani residents gather outside the house of Rimsha Masih a Christian girl, who was arrested for allegedly burning pages inscribed with verses from the Koran. ? Photo by AFP
Pakistani residents gather outside the house of Rimsha Masih a Christian girl, who was arrested for allegedly burning pages inscribed with verses from the Koran. ? Photo by AFP
Returning Pakistani migrants sit on a kerb at the city's port in Karachi after being detained in Oman for a month. ? Photo by AFP
Returning Pakistani migrants sit on a kerb at the city's port in Karachi after being detained in Oman for a month. ? Photo by AFP
Pakistani migrants walk away from the wharf at the city's port in Karachi after being deported for illegal economic immigration. ? Photo by AFP
Pakistani migrants walk away from the wharf at the city's port in Karachi after being deported for illegal economic immigration. ? Photo by AFP
Hafiz Khalid Chishti, the Imam of a local mosque, looks on during an interview in Mehrabad. The Pakistani cleric who handed over Rimsha Masih to police on blasphemy charges claimed that he did so to protect her from mob violence. ? Photo by AFP
Hafiz Khalid Chishti, the Imam of a local mosque, looks on during an interview in Mehrabad. The Pakistani cleric who handed over Rimsha Masih to police on blasphemy charges claimed that he did so to protect her from mob violence. ? Photo by AFP
Pakistani Muslims leave the Imainia mosque following congregational Friday prayers in Mehrabad. ? Photo by AFP
Pakistani Muslims leave the Imainia mosque following congregational Friday prayers in Mehrabad. ? Photo by AFP
Thousands of protesting Pakistani immigrants in Greece gather at Central Syntagma Square, Athens. ? Photo by AFP
Thousands of protesting Pakistani immigrants in Greece gather at Central Syntagma Square, Athens. ? Photo by AFP
Pakistani immigrants protest against the recent violent attacks on immigrants by ultra nationalist groups and the police operations in order to arrest undocumented immigrants. ? Photo by AFP
Pakistani immigrants protest against the recent violent attacks on immigrants by ultra nationalist groups and the police operations in order to arrest undocumented immigrants. ? Photo by AFP
Thousands of immigrants, mainly from Pakistan, gather at Athens to protest against recent attacks on immigrants by ultra nationalist groups and police operations in order to arrest undocumented immigrants.  ? Photo by AFP
Thousands of immigrants, mainly from Pakistan, gather at Athens to protest against recent attacks on immigrants by ultra nationalist groups and police operations in order to arrest undocumented immigrants. ? Photo by AFP
Young Pakistani girls walk past Rimsha's house in a slum area of Islamabad. ? Photo by AFP
Young Pakistani girls walk past Rimsha's house in a slum area of Islamabad. ? Photo by AFP
An Afghan refugee youth, pulls a wooden cart parked with other carts next to other refugees sleep on beds. ? Photo by AP
An Afghan refugee youth, pulls a wooden cart parked with other carts next to other refugees sleep on beds. ? Photo by AP
An Afghan refugee sleeps outside his home, to escape the heat trapped in his home during the summer months. ? Photo by AP
An Afghan refugee sleeps outside his home, to escape the heat trapped in his home during the summer months. ? Photo by AP
Two Afghan refugee girls sit by the door way of a home in an alley of a slum. ? Photo by AP
Two Afghan refugee girls sit by the door way of a home in an alley of a slum. ? Photo by AP
Sajida Chamman, looks on while she and other girl play on a wooden cart. ? Photo by AP
Sajida Chamman, looks on while she and other girl play on a wooden cart. ? Photo by AP
An Afghan refugee girl walks toward other girls in an alley. ? Photo by AP
An Afghan refugee girl walks toward other girls in an alley. ? Photo by AP
An Afghan refugee, Doost Hamid, bathes at a water point. ? Photo by AP
An Afghan refugee, Doost Hamid, bathes at a water point. ? Photo by AP

On Aug 24 about three thousand Pakistani Muslim immigrants gathered at central Syntagma square in Athens, Greece waving their national flag high, shouting slogans and showing solidarity against racist attacks and police brutality. A high influx of illegal immigrants in the European Union has given rise to anti-immigrant Golden Dawn supporters accused of violent attacks on the minority community. The police continue their operations by arresting the undocumented immigrants.

That same day five hundred Pakistanis arrived in Karachi after being deported from Oman. They were detained on charges of illegal economic migration and allowed to return home after a month.

As more and more Pakistanis struggle to improve their lives by protesting for their rights and migrating to other countries in search for better opportunities, the fate of minorities and immigrants in Pakistan remains bleak.

Photos portray the inhabitants of Mehrabad lingering around a mosque near the locked family house of Rimsha Masih, a Christian girl reportedly suffering from Down ’s syndrome who was recently detained in solitary confinement amidst accusations of blasphemy.

Pakistan is also a host to the world’s largest and longest-running refugee population of about 1.7 million Afghans. They live in dire conditions with a third of them residing in camps while the rest are scattered all over the country. Recently the Pakistani government is debating whether to remove their refugee status — a step that would pressure them to go home.

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