Islamabad, Feb 4 : Christian community leaders in Pakistan's Faisalabad have voiced their concern over what they termed as 'discriminatory policing' and stereotyping under the ongoing anti-drug drive in Punjab province. They alleged that members of the minority community have been facing raids and criminal cases falsely linking them to narcotics over the past two months, local media reported.

While addressing a press conference at the Faisalabad Press Club, Minority Rights Movement (MRM) chief Lala Robin Daniel and other Christian leaders, said that the community fully backs efforts to end drug abuse. However, they expressed opposition to what they described as a targetted narrative showcasing Christians as centres of drug activity, reported Voicepk.net, an open platform dedicated to broadcasting events related to human rights concerns in Pakistan.

They alleged that substances like heroin, hashish, and ice are being falsely linked to Christian community through baseless police cases and social media campaigns. The speakers stated that such narratives risk criminalising Christian community and deepening social prejudice. They requested authorities to intervene in the matter and ensure transparency in law enforcement and intelligence reporting.

The speakers complained that when the members or religious minorities, as per law, were allowed to sell and purchase alcohol, then they could not be detained for it by terming it as a 'drug'. They said, "If any arm of the state such as the police, declares alcohol a drug, and advertises it as that, that would be a violation of the law."

Speaking to Voicepk, Lala Robin Daniel, one of the prominent leaders, said that people belonging to Christian community were being booked under narcotics-linked provisions, including Section 9(c), through what he termed as false and discriminatory cases. He said, "Our community is being targetted through fabricated drug cases." He termed the discrimination "extremely dangerous" for Christians as a minority community.

Daniel mentioned that members of Christian community, despite having legal licenses for alcohol, were being falsely accused of dealing in substances like heroin, ice, and hashish. "This campaign of bogus cases risks branding the entire Christian community as criminal," Voicepk quoted him as saying.

He alleged that police were increasing drug-linked figures by lodging false cases against Christians. "Many members of our community are currently facing fabricated narcotics charges," said Daniel.

/IANS