Pakistani officials withdraw order to shut down house churches

Local officials in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad have reportedly reversed its decision to shut down unregistered house churches within the district for security reasons.

Six house churches were ordered closed in Abbottabad in mid-January due to alleged security threats. Arshad Nayer, a local pastor, complained that the administration has "found it convenient" to close the churches, instead of providing security for them.

Abbottabad, which is located about 75 miles north of Islamabad, is home to the Pakistan Military Academy, but it is also known to be a hub for jihadists. It had drawn the attention of Americans after it was discovered that Osama bin Laden had been residing there.

The security issue reportedly arose following the suicide bombing in Quetta on Dec. 17. Following the attack, officials stepped up security for all churches across Pakistan, but since the six churches in Abbottabad were unregistered, they "remained out of the sight of security forces and could be victim of any terror attack."

The closure of churches has reportedly triggered demonstrations from Christians in the area. According to Missions Box, the officials agreed to re-open the churches after a meeting with members of the All Pastor Association Abbottabad.

After the negotiations, the officials issued a notice to the six churches, instructing them to register with the Home Department within a predetermined period of time or face permanent closure.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has announced its plan to issue weapon licenses to churches in response to the terror attack at a church in Quetta in December.

On Jan. 24, government officials asked all 41 churches in Quetta to nominate security volunteers for special training under the Civil Defense Directorate. The notice came after the officials, the police and the Implementation Minority Rights Forum (IMRF) held a meeting in Quetta late last month.

"The Balochistan Home Department will issue weapon licenses in the name of the churches," said IMRF Chairman Samuel Pyara.

"This will further enable a special force of volunteers to assist local police when services are held. We will form a committee to monitor these developments and settle the problems of those affected," he went on to say.

In addition, the provincial government also donated 26.4 million rupees (US$239,000) to the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church of Quetta to compensate the victims of the attack.

The Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had also previously said that it will allocate 5 million rupees (US$45,400) to assist with the repairs to the church building.

"The complicated government process and slow coordination between departments was a major hurdle [to the new security measure]. Neither police nor hospital authorities had submitted a list of victims or an assessment of losses to the Quetta deputy commissioner. We had to convince them to fast-track the matter," Pyara said.