The new U.S. aid package proposed for Pakistan is raising red flags for many U.S. aid groups. The package is billed as part of the U.S. counter insurgency efforts, and that has some groups worried. They’re concerned that the funds could end up in the wrong places, where there’s not much accountability. Couple that with the worry that local, perhaps less-organized groups will displace Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the careful disbursement of the $1.5 billion in aid funds becomes more crucial.

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says while they’re not an aid group, they are watching the situation closely. Their humanitarian involvement covers the delivery of Action Packs. Donors order Action Packs from Voice of the Martyrs who then send a special pre-printed vacuum bag to the donors along with a list of needed items. The donor then fills the Action Pack and sends it back to Voice of the Martyrs; they distribute it along with the Gospel storybook, He Lived Among Us.

Nettleton explains, “We’ve delivered thousands of Action Packs–a humanitarian aid item–to Pakistani Christians as well as to Muslim villages,” which opens the doors for ministry. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Christians in Pakistan face severe opposition from militant Islamic groups. Citing Law 295c, many believers have been falsely accused of blaspheming Mohammed or the Quran, a crime punishable by death.

North West Frontier Province passed a bill that sets up a watchdog with the power to reform the society in accordance to “Islamic values,” which includes ensuring that such values are observed in public places. Christians are praying that this law will not be implemented country-wide, and that they can move toward more religious freedoms.

Given the potential for sharing the hope of Christ, it is easy to see that a lack of internal accountability could mean trouble for believers. Nettleton says, “There are those radical groups that would like to see Pakistan look like Afghanistan used to look, with hardline Islamic government very much run according to the Quran, with no Christian presence.”

Nettleton urges Christians to keep praying for boldness: “Whatever happens in this situation, we still need to be bold witnesses for Jesus Christ. We still need to be talking to our friends and our neighbors and telling them about the hope of salvation through Jesus.”

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