3/2/2017  Pakistan  (Times of India) According to reports, thousands of religious hardliners in Pakistan rallied to commemorate Mumtaz Qadri, a man convicted and executed for the assassination of a Pakistani governor who called for reforms to the country’s notorious blasphemy laws. Salman Taseer, the then governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, was murdered by Qadri after he called the blasphemy laws “a black law” and stood in support of Aasiya Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy. As Pakistan continues to recover from a series of terrorist attacks from religious extremist groups, these open rallies have many religious minorities and moderates concerned for the future of Pakistan.  Please pray… Pray that despite Taseer’s assassination, leaders and activists in Pakistan will still call for the end of the country’s blasphemy laws, often used as a tool of violence and death. Pray for Christians in Pakistan like Aasiya Bibi who remain imprisoned for false blasphemy charges.  Pray for the demonic strongholds of Islamist extremism and terrorism to be demolished and rendered powerless in Pakistan by the Lord Jesus.

2/7/2017  Pakistan  (Express Tribune) Adnan Prince, a Christian accused and subsequently jailed for blasphemy in Pakistan, was granted bail by a three-member-bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court last Wednesday after more than three years. In 2013, Prince was accused of violating Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws, but his lawyers argue that no direct or forensic evidence has been produced by the prosecution to link their client to the accusation. Please pray… Praise God for the release of Adnan Prince! Pray for Adnan as he returns home; pray against possible attacks and threats on his life. Pray against blasphemy laws that are often abused and used as a tool of violence against minority Christians in Pakistan. Pray for others who are still imprisoned under this infamous blasphemy law. In particular, pray for the release of Aasiya Bibi as her case is under appeal to the Pakistani Supreme Court.

1/30/2017  Pakistan (Open Doors) A Senate committee in Pakistan has decided to continue the debate over how to prevent the misuse of Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy law. There has been severe opposition to this debate from religious extremists who support legislation that carries a mandatory death penalty for insulting anything related to Islam and its prophet. Anger roused by the senate committee’s decision could compromise Aasiya Bibi’s fate in prison. Sadly, this committee will not be attempting to amend the law; they will merely be looking for “creative” ways to include checks and balances for investigations of whether or not an act of blasphemy is valid. Please pray… Pray for this critical development and the security of Pakistani Christians who have spoken out against this law.　 Pray for God’s wisdom to direct this process. Pray for the protection of Muslims who demonstrate sympathy for Pakistan’s religious minorities and speak out against the injustice of these laws.  

11/27/2016 Pakistan (Express) Shama and Shehzad, a couple from Kasur in Pakistan, were falsely accused of blasphemy and were burned alive in a brick oven for their Christian faith in 2014. For the first time ever, a court in Pakistan is ruling that those involved in a religiously motivated crime against a religious minority be punished. Because a judicial decision like this has never been made before, it is unknown if the trend will continue in similar cases. Let’s pray… Pray for the couple’s four children as they adjust to life with their grandfather, and that the Lord will heal their hearts and come to have the same strong faith that their parents had. Pray for other victims of religious minority violence to receive justice as well. Pray for more and more of Pakistan’s courts to view this kind of violence as a crime and do what they can to stop it.

10/25/2016 Pakistan (Christian Today)  A mob of 50 attacked the house of a Christian pastor, beating him and his family and threatening them if they didn’t leave the premises. The house was purchased from a Muslim owner, and “should not be owned by a Christian.” Despite a restraining order issued by the judge to prevent forced eviction until ownership was settled, armed men stormed the place, terrorizing neighbours and assaulting the Christian family inside their home. Police were informed and intervened at the scene; the family was already seriously injured. Let’s pray… Pray that God would mightily strengthen the resolve and faith of this family, as they have given up everything to follow Jesus. Pray that they might not waver, and not accuse or curse, but forgive and bless their persecutors, just as Christ did. Pray that all fear and anxiety would be gone, and that this family would indeed rejoice because this is the way the prophets were persecuted, and God approves of their endurance. May the joy that they have be a witness to, and give courage to, those being saved.