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Contents 1 Emergency in Pakistan 1.1 Volatile nation’s future to be determined by forthcoming parliamentary election 1.1.1 Prayer 1.2 Declaring of emergency 1.2.1 Pakistani Christians have a special weapon―prayer 1.2.2 A letter from Pakistan

[edit] Emergency in Pakistan

[edit] Volatile nation’s future to be determined by forthcoming parliamentary election

• Intercessory prayer is critical right now for Pakistan as the nation heads towards this Monday, February 18, 2008 parliamentary election, which is meant to restore democracy after eight years of military rule.
• The situation in Pakistan has been volatile since the December 27, 2007 assassination of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who Pakistani Christians described as “the only hope” to end religious persecution. The killing of Bhutto has also been blamed on an Al Qaeda-linked militant commander based in the tribal region of South Waziristan. Her assassination forced the postponement of the election that was supposed to be held January 2008.
• Meanwhile, a suicide bomber blasted a political gathering Saturday, February 9, 2008 in northwestern Pakistan, killing 27 people, wounding 50 and invoking fears about the security surrounding the forthcoming election.
• In the South, an estimated 100,000 supporters of Bhutto turned out for her party’s first major election rally since her assassination. Bhutto’s widowed husband told the crowd he had a responsibility to save the nation from President Pervez Musharraf’s rule. Musharraf was re-elected president in October 2007 but needs a strong majority in Parliament to fend off demands for his impeachment.
• A Pakistani Christian recently pleaded for prayers for his country. “The tragedy of Bhutto’s assassination is a strong signal of the extremist elements who not only want to silence the voice of democracy but want to hold our country hostage to a Taliban-type rule, stifling all freedom—religious and civic!”
• Although the Pakistani government is a major partner in the U.S. war on terror, Pakistan remains a major source of Islamic extremism and a safe haven for some top terrorist leaders. Pakistan has experienced attacks from international terror networks such as Al Qaeda and its supporters, as well as violence stemming from Sunni-Shia sectarian strife and militant sub-nationalists. Al Qaeda’s continued calls for the overthrow of President Musharraf remained a threat to Pakistan, despite the government’s efforts to eliminate Al Qaeda elements, according to the 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism by the U.S. government. Pakistan has been hit by a wave of suicide attacks across the nuclear-armed nation that has so far this year left nearly 100 people dead, all blamed by the government on Al Qaeda and Taliban militants.

[edit] Prayer

• A fair and violence-free election. May this election open the door for more evangelism in Pakistan and that the people will hunger after the One True Saviour, Jesus Christ. (Colossians 4:3)
• May God raise up an elected prime minister who will be fruitful for the churches of Pakistan.
• May all demonic schemes, plans, and efforts by Al Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorists in Pakistan to fail and be exposed at the inception of the planning stages. (Mark 4:22)
• May God thwart Al Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorists from gaining access to nuclear weapons. (Pakistan is the only Islamic nation that has nuclear weapons!)
• When the enemy comes against the innocent people in Pakistan that the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against the enemy by sending forth weapons from His arsenal in heaven. (Exodus 15:3, 6-7 and Isaiah 59:19)
• Pray that Al Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorists to repent. Pray that God will break through their hatred and that the Holy Spirit will soften their hearts and draw them to Himself in salvation. (Matthew 5:44)
• The rise of Islamic militant extremism across the Muslim world to not take root in Pakistan and that the government continues to resist terrorist movements.
• Pray for Bhutto’s family that the Lord would give them strength and comfort. Pray for those Christians around them who can be a witness to Bhutto’s husband and her children as they mourn the loss of their mother. Families of those who have been either injured or killed in the violence, which has affected Karachi and Islamabad. Pray that they will experience the Lord’s healing. Pray for Pakistani Christians to be a comfort to those who mourn and for Pakistani Believers to be a praying presence in the country.

[edit] Declaring of emergency

• Urgent prayer is needed for a Pakistan after President Pervez Musharraf recently declared a state of emergency in Pakistan. Musharraf lifted emergency rule Saturday, December 15, 2007 — six weeks to the day after he suspended the constitution and fired most of the Supreme Court justices.
• More than 3,000 people jailed in Pakistan under emergency rule have been released, the latest sign that embattled President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was rolling back some of the harsher measures he has taken against his opponents, the Associated Press reported. Musharraf imposed sweeping emergency measures Saturday, November 3, 2007.
• Meanwhile, Pakistani Christians are concerned over increasing persecution from Islamic militants in the midst of the volatile situation for the troubled Islamic republic.
• Christian leader Cecil Chudhary told Minorities Concern of Pakistan that the ongoing terrorist activities in the North-West Pakistan. Taliban and many other militant groups have visible presence in many cities of North West Frontier Province and Federally Administered Tribal Agencies hospital.
• Since 2001, the government of Pakistan has launched operation against these groups, but they have grown and have become stronger, aggressive and operating openly. According to some analysts, the Pakistani government has lacked sufficient commitment to engage the Taliban.
• The Bush administration is alarmed about the possible collapse of the government, and there are also fears that its nuclear weapons could end up in the hands of Islamist extremists.
• Musharraf stepped down as army chief in late November, finally bowing to international demands to end eight years of divisive military rule. However, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said she would not accept him as Pakistan’s leader.
• She pledged to form a national unity government with all political parties and opposition officials in Pakistan, including with exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Representatives of Pakistan’s Christian minority hope life will improve under a new government after Musharraf apparently failed to crackdown on Islamic militants that have attacked churches.
• But on Thursday, 27.12.2007 Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack that also killed at least 20 others at a campaign rally, aides said. "The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred," Bhutto's lawyer Babar Awan said. A party security adviser said Bhutto was shot in neck and chest as she got into her vehicle to leave the rally in Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad. A gunman then blew himself up. "At 6:16 p.m. she expired," said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto's party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was taken after the attack.
• Pakistani Christians across the country were also to pray for Pakistan’s security, prosperity and “for the safety of detained Christian political activists and human rights activists,” several of whom have been detained and injured in clashes with police. There are about 2,500 house churches in Pakistan with 25,000 believers among them, according to Pakistan Gospel Assemblies.
• At Miranshah in northern Pakistan, two Christian janitors were recently abducted from a hospital. No group has claimed responsibility, but the local Taliban extremists are suspected. Masked men kidnapped two Christian janitors, Naeem Masih and Shahbaz Masih, in front of Miranshah Headquarters Hospital in North Waziristan on October 27, 2007. Around 1,000 Christians live in Miranshah. Two Christians were kidnapped five months ago, but were later released. In Pakistan, the persecution spirit is strong, according to William Johnson, leader of Pakistan Gospel Assemblies. “This spirit is even spreading because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Christians are under pressure, Muslim religious people don’t look with good eyes upon the Christians. We had some church building programs going on, and in five places [extremist] Muslims just came in and stopped us….” He added that in one town construction ceased for more than two years when a construction was at “roof level” because a local Muslim who had feared that the church would influence people in the area, had taken out a court order against construction. “So, four or five churches were not permitted to be constructed,” Johnson said.
• Pakistan has undergone “colossal damage” in the days of turmoil following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, its former prime minister. At least 38 people were killed, the railway system suffered extensive harm, and many shops were looted and destroyed. A friend writes that “many are feeling that there is a tremendous cloud of evil hanging over the nation at this time. Fear comes from the evil one. In many cities, people are very fearful to get out on the streets, even to try and get food.” Let’s also pray for the restoration of stability and healing for this troubled country and that the extremists will not be able to make progress in their agenda to bring about further destruction.

[edit] Pakistani Christians have a special weapon―prayer

• Pakistani Christians have a special weapon―prayer. “When we see these things happen, they slow us down, but we are positive that Jesus is coming soon. We can expect these problems,” said Johnson. Authorities can close a door, he added, “but God can open seven other(s). By praying, we are moving on. In the congregations, we are teaching people, we are trying to establish prayer cells. Prayer cells are going to influence people in the community, and that’s a great encouragement for other people.”

[edit] A letter from Pakistan

• A letter from Pakistan 12.01.2008: “Thanks for your prayers for our country Pakistan. You may be well aware of the situation of the country. It is really undergoing lots of crises in these days. Political instability, bomb blast, our army is fight against our own people in northern part of Pakistan because most of them are terrorists. Every second day there is bomb blast in different part of the country. After Lahore bomb blast killing 27 people and more than 60 severely wounded. There was another blast in Karachi yesterday resulting 12 dead including two children and two real brothers and 30 injured. There were two other blasts in other parts of the country yesterday. Most of them are suicide and some are roadside in cars or in the motorcycle or at any hidden place. It is really threatening to go out for the work. The prices of the food commodities are gone very high and becoming out of the reach of common people day by day and even these are not available market. Therefore we are really under lots of economic pressures and threats and do not know what to do in this situation and thinking what is the future of Pakistan our country. In this time of chaos we really need your prayers, help and encouragements. Please pray for the peace in our country.”