Christian groups concerned over Shariat deal in Pakistan

Christian groups in Pakistan have expressed concern over the Pakistan-Taliban peace deal that will lead to the enforcement of Shariat laws in parts of the country's northwest.

President Asif Ali Zadari had last week agreed to the imposition of hardline Islamic law in Swat and other regions, which has been slammed by the western nations.

"In the particular region that is the most tense in Pakistan, that region has adopted Sharia law. When tightly adhered to, it can be used to persecute any other religion except Islam," Eric Fellman with World Bible Translation Center told the Mission Network News.

"We provide those [Scriptures in Urdu] to many different missionaries, church groups, ministries that go into the area, relief groups that go into the area, though we have to be careful in our packaging, in our shipping, what channels they go through. It's always been a risk. The risk has been probably doubled now," say Eric.

The ministry, at the end of 2008, had aimed to have at least 100,000 copies for distribution.

Swat, once a popular tourist destination has in the past few years been transformed to the Centre for Islamic militancy.
According to the local authorities, 50 per cent of girls have stopped attending school because of the militants' threats. In the past two years another 100 schools have been burnt down.

Since 2007, when a previous peace deal fell apart, between 250,000 – 500,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Swat valley.