The challenges in Pakistan today are enormous. Against a background of an energy crisis, political corruption, and high unemployment, religious intolerance and division are on the rise.

But our partners on the ground have reported some encouraging news: there seems to be an increasing awareness of injustices in society. We’ve met so many inspiring activists who are working for justice, often at great personal risk.

HEROES OF THE FAITH

Asiya Nasir occupies a unique position in Pakistani politics – not only is she a female politician, but she’s a Christian within an Islamist party. She was one of the few politicians who spoke out boldly after the assassination of the Minorities Minister, Shahbaz Bhatti, and we’ve been really encouraged by how her faith leads her to work for minority rights and her nation as a whole.

This week please:

• Thank God for CSW’s partners, for their bravery and perseverance in the face of daily opposition;
• Ask God to protect those working on peace-building, and grant them favour;
• Pray for voices of justice and peace to be amplified, replacing voices of hate and violence;
• Ask God to grant true justice to victims of religiously-motivated violence, including cases left unresolved for years;
• Ask God to protect Christian and Hindu women and girls at risk of abduction or forced marriage;
• Ask God to break drug and alcohol addictions in some of the poorest Christian communities;
• Pray for Christian leaders as they establish trusting relationships in a country where so many divisions stem from mistrust.