South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) strongly condemns the heinous carnage of human lives in Lahore, intending to target the minority Christians celebrating Easter on Sunday 27 March, by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban. However, victims of the bomb blast in the park included non-Christians as well. SAHR deprecates extremists targeting a public recreational venue leading to death of numerous children which has been the case in other such inhuman attacks in the recent past.
Further, SAHR is deeply concerned by the increase in deadly violent activities of the Taliban on the basis of resisting the government authority and religious terrorism which has heralded much destruction to the people of Pakistan in the recent past. Therefore, SAHR calls upon the Government of Pakistan to act against militancy and terrorism with sustained political will and determination. It reminds the Pakistani government of its responsibility, under its own laws and under international human rights instruments it has signed, to provide protection to people on the basis of their ethnicity or religion. SAHR reiterates that these commitments must be met in letter and spirit.
On behalf of the members of South Asians for Human Rights
Hina Jilani
Chairperson
Dr. Nimalka Fernando
Co-Chairperson