ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a conference here on Tuesday said the Christian community living in Pakistan lacked a visionary leadership.

Speaking at the national church leadership conference, “Glory filled Pakistan” intentional preacher Pastor Henry Madava said everything depended on a leadership.

He said Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa from apartheid to democracy, was a humble, persuasive and inspirational figure and advocated for peace, democracy and human rights.

“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice for the freedom of their people,” he added.

He expressed concerns over the state of livelihood of the Christian community in Pakistan and said they had carved out their own lives in the country that faced near-daily attacks by extremists.

“Christians represent just a sliver of the population of Pakistan, and a major portion of their population is settled in the outskirts of cities with dirt roads and cement-block homes,” he said.

The leadership conference was organised as a brain-storming session to find solutions to the issues faced by the Christian community in Pakistan.

Many leaders from the Christian community said instead of creating gaps there was a need to become a bridge among people of different faiths and cultures.

The speakers deplored that Pakistani Christians were facing many problems and sufferings in the shape of terror attacks.

Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the Christian community in Pakistan was part and parcel of the nation. He said during his tenure he facilitated the minorities of Pakistan in creating the ministry of interfaith harmony besides declaring August 11 as National Minority Day.

Pastor Francis Hayat, the organising director of the conference, said removing barriers such as discrimination and divisions was mandatory for success.

“There are many young people dreaming of the day to have a contented and prosperous life,” he said, adding people in the leadership role can help them seek out and capitalise on more opportunities and find solutions to the challenges.

Published in Dawn ,July 15th, 2015

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