Pakistan hospital forces Christian staffers to recite verses from Quran

The administrators of a hospital in the Pakistani city of Lahore have reportedly forced its Christian and other non-Muslim staffers to either recite verses from the Quran or attend a daily morning assembly. According to reports, those who do not comply with the orders are marked as absent for the entire day.

The paramedical staff of Mian Mir Hospital protested against the administrators of the facility after Medical Superintendent Dr. Muhammad Sarfraz allegedly slapped a Christian staffer for not attending the morning assembly, The Express Tribune reported.

A Christian paramedical staffer named Marshal said that he asked religious scholars to intervene because the hospital administration was pressuring them to quit their jobs. "This act of the MS is a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan," he remarked.

Fahad Ahmed, another staff member, said that Muslims and Christians at the facility were working in harmony. "It is professional workplace; I don't know why the administration is forcing our Christian brothers to do this. This is totally unacceptable," he contended.

The hospital, which is being run by the City District Government Lahore, was named after Sufi saint Hazrat Mian Mir, who is known to be a big proponent of interfaith harmony during the time of Mughal emperor Jehangir.

The staffers called on the authorities to launch an investigation and fairly question the Medical Superintendent over his conduct. Activists and law experts have considered the incident as a manifestation of the proliferation of religious extremism.

Center for Social Justice Chairman Peter Jacob pointed out that religious freedom is guaranteed to all under Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan. "This act goes against the constitution and should be dealt with accordingly," he said.

City District Government Lahore Health CEO Dr. Muhammad Saeed said that a high-level committee had been created to investigate the matter, and a strict departmental inquiry would be launched against anyone found guilty.

Experts have noted that extremism in public hospitals has become a massive concern for law enforcement agencies. A senior law enforcement official who requested anonymity said that the incident is just a "small manifestation" of the phenomenon of extremism among doctors and other paramedical staff. He noted that the phenomenon was nothing new, but he urged the health department to frame a code of conduct to avoid similar incidents in the future.