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Pakistan

• Mixed Outcomes for Christians Accused of Blasphemy

  

  In February 2018, 17-year-old Patras Masih allegedly shared content on social media which some found to be blasphemous. In the wake of this post, riots broke out in his neighbourhood of Lahore. Patras was taken into custody and authorities also tortured his cousin Sajid, who jumped from a window to escape, resulting in serious injuries.

• Death Sentences Upheld for Alleged Blog Posts

  

  In 2014, two Pakistani brothers, Qaisar and Amoon Ayub, were arrested and accused of blasphemy for posting online material – allegations that go back to 2009. In 2018, both Christian men were found guilty and subsequently sentenced to death (see this report). Since that time, there have been appeals to their convictions and sentences.

• Forcibly Married Christian Teen Rescued

  

  Saba Masih is a teenage girl from Faisalabad, Pakistan. The young Christian was walking with her older sister Muqadas on the morning of May 20th when they were approached by four men, including their neighbour Muhammad Yasir. The men forced Saba into a rickshaw and then fled.

• Two Slain During Attack on Pastor's Family

  

  Pastor Adam has faced repeated death threats because of his ministry work among Pakistani Christians who have converted from a Muslim background. During Ramadan, Islamic zeal runs particularly high, which can lead to religiously motivated violence by militants. Such was the case on the night of April 11th.

• Two Teenage Girls Recently Kidnapped

  

  After more than two weeks of apparent investigative searching, police have been unable to find two Christian girls who were kidnapped on March 7th from the Christian colony of Ghaziabad Aorangi Town which is located within the capital city of Karachi. A Christian lawyer involved in the case stated that, because the girls are Christians and their families are poor, the police have shown little interest in finding them. She asserted, "Police often side with the criminals, while courts bring Sharia law into consideration and decide these cases in favour of the kidnappers."

• Blasphemy Charges for Alleged Facebook Post

  

  Fansan Shahid, a 54-year-old Christian from Gujranwala in Punjab Province, is in federal custody with charges predicated on a blasphemous comment he allegedly made in a Facebook post during 2019. Fansan was arrested just after midnight on March 16th when more than a dozen police officers stormed into his house and began beating him before taking him into custody.

• Young Christian Woman Kidnapped

  

  Two years ago, Abida Mukhtar's husband died of a heart attack. Finding herself in need of assistance with necessary adjustments regarding his government pension, the grieving Christian widow turned to a Muslim neighbour, Nisar Jogi, who claimed that he could help expedite the process.

• Pastors Ambushed; One Fatally Wounded

  

  Two pastors were leaving All Saints' Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, together after the January 30th service when their car was ambushed by gunmen riding a motorcycle. Pastor William Siraj was fatally shot, and Pastor Patrick Naeem needed to be rushed to the hospital where he was treated and then released.

• Christian Girls Abducted

  

  At least four Pakistani Christian girls have been kidnapped in the first two weeks of 2022, continuing a trend that has become increasingly prevalent across the country. In many cases, the abducted girls are forcibly converted to Islam, married to their kidnappers, and then held in captivity – an outcome justified by fraudulent marriage and conversion certificates. To read about previous instances, go to our country report.

• Death Penalty for Longtime Prisoner; Bail for Another

  

  On January 3rd, a judge at the Rawalpindi District Court in Pakistan ruled to change a Christian pastor's sentence of life imprisonment to the death penalty. Zafar Bhatti has been imprisoned on charges of blasphemy since July 2012. After five years, he was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The charges arise from an alleged text message, yet Zafar denies that the phone in question was even registered to his name. For more information on the ordeal facing this Pakistani pastor, view these reports.