A reverential hush for Shahbaz Bhatti

The congregation at St Patrick’s Cathedral prayed for Shahbaz Bhatti.

KARACHI:

Heads bent in prayer at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday evening for Shahbaz Bhatti, the federal minister for minorities’ affairs who was assassinated in Islamabad on March 2.

“Shahbaz Bhatti was a very active member of the community,” said Fr Saleh Diego. “Being a minister for minorities, he sought to bring unity and solidarity among members of all faiths.”

Banners by the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), the Catholic Sunday School ministry of the Karachi Archdiocese and St Paul’s Parish were placed outside the church building, paying tribute to Bhatti’s services. The NCJP banner stated, ‘Provide protection to Pakistani Christians’ and highlighted the mood of many at the memorial service. Parishoner Flora had never met Bhatti in person but regularly read about his work in The Christian Voice. “I come to this church every day but I don’t feel safe,” she said. “The discrimination against Christians will increase because now there is no minister for minorities’ affairs. We’re afraid of wearing dresses and wear shalwar kameez and dupattas instead. We can speak in English in Bohri Bazaar, but outside … you know, we speak broken Urdu.”

According to Flora, many Christian families are emigrating because of the law and order situation in the city. Sister Barbara Ann agreed: “Everyone who has the means would like to emigrate to greener pastures. Muslims are emigrating too.”

Even though her family does not live in Pakistan, Sr Ann said she was there to serve the country. “I want Pakistan to be the country that Quaid-e-Azam envisaged. That is the ideal and that is what we pray for.”

“I knew of Shahbaz Bhatti by reputation,” she said. “He had very good principles and values, and he worked not only for the rights of the well-to-do, but for everyone. There are very few people like that.”

The pews were full by the start of the service. An NCJP member estimated that at least 600 people were in attendance, given that the cathedral’s capacity was 800.

The service opened with the Archbishop of Karachi Evarist Pinto’s arrival and the recitation of a hymn. A short introduction of Bhatti followed, which hailed his services to the community and minorities. “When he took oath as the federal minister in 2008, he made Pakistani Christians proud,” the pastor said. “He proved that Christians love Pakistan and are continuously striving to make Pakistan proud.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2011.