Christian Farmers Under Siege: Land Mafias Target Vulnerable Communities in Pakistan

Christian farmers in Punjab, Pakistan are facing illegal land evictions perpetrated by local mafias, as the provincial government remains passive, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). Following a fact-finding investigation on a complaint from the Church Derek Abad pastor, HRCP reports alarming land occupation activities in Kot Addu, about 400 km from Lahore.

The HRCP findings reveal a troubling increase in Christians' land being taken over, with the state consistently failing to enforce court rulings protecting these farmers. Despite the Lahore High Court's stay order preventing evictions, Christian farmers continue to await crucial land allotment documents.

The HRCP warns that without these papers, farmers risk losing the little land they cultivate, pushing them further into poverty. The commission calls on the Punjab government to act decisively against the illegal activities of land mafias, issuing land allotment letters to the eligible and safeguarding families to avert the threat of forced displacement.

(With inputs from agencies.)