Paul Keenan

The floods in Pakistan are breaking religious barriers as people of different faiths reach out to one another, a witness in the country stated this week.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic from Lahore, Dr Peter Jacobs, the executive secretary of the National Council for Justice and Peace said that while ''religious minorities live on the fringes and can be outcasts from society'', people are now simply concerned with helping each other in the face of the floods.

''In what is a devastating situation, people are trying to help each other. Christians and Muslims are trying to reach out to one another.''

On the wider response to the disaster, Dr Jacobs added: ''International and Church agencies have jumped into a situation that no-one was prepared for. Church organisations have opened to everyone.'' He said he was aware of at least one church that has become a flood relief centre, in addition to Catholic schools opening to house refugees.

Dr Jacobs added that in terms of co-operation, he was pleased to see that India had also offered aid towards the relief of Pakistan and Pakistan had ''wisely'' accepted the offer. ''So there is possible rehabilitation even beyond Pakistan'' he said of the often fraught relationship between the two countries.

He was speaking as the Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Pakistan, Fr Mario Rodrigues, alleged that in some cases, aid was being denied to minority groups, including Christians, and Church agencies are working to make sure Christians are not neglected.

''Our priests, volunteers and lay leaders in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh and Baluchiestan are visiting the affected areas, collecting hundreds of displaced Christians who had been left to themselves, bringing them to camps run by Caritas and other NGOs of Christian inspiration in order to guarantee them the minimum assistance they need," he said.