LAHORE, April 30: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned on Friday the administration for refusing Christians to hold annual prayer meeting in Sahiwal.

In a statement issued here, HRCP secretary-general Hina Jilani said it was still more distressing that despite urgent messages sent by the commission to the provincial governor and chief secretary, and the interior minister, no action was taken to permit the meeting.

The prayer meeting, an annual event in Sahiwal, was to take place at the Quaid-i-Azam Stadium, from April 23 to 25. Between 15,000 and 20,000 Christians had been regularly attending the prayer without any hindrance, she said.

She said permission was initially granted for the gathering one month in advance by the DPO and Nazim. However, this was abruptly cancelled a short while before the scheduled meeting.

She said such official support for discriminatory treatment of minorities explained why their position in society had continued to worsen. It also established that the officials claims of ensuring protection for minorities were only comments.

Ms Jilani said the increasingly blatant discrimination against groups in society had added to the growing friction, violence and intolerance.

"There is a danger that this would continue to expand, adding to the many dangers facing the country, unless policies were formed to ensure minorities were treated as equal citizens and not subjected to discriminatory actions that acted to isolate them and impinge on their right to freely and peacefully practice their belief," she said.