Photo of pamphlet from All Pakistan Minorities Allicance
According to an April 23 release by All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, on April 13 Sattar Masih was preparing for his wedding the next day when some Muslim men came to his home in Kotri, Pakistan with a piece of paper containing his picture and a hand-written note containing comments that criticized Mohammad. Sattar denied that he had written the note. When copies of the note were found posted outside a local mosque, Muslims demanded that he be arrested. Police took him into custody and tortured him in an effort to gain a confession. The next day he was charged with blasphemy under Section 295A and C. His uncle, Mushtaq Masih, was also arrested even though he clearly could not have written the note since he is illiterate. Local Christians believe the pamphlet was part of a conspiracy to incriminate Sattar.
Pray that the truth will be revealed and that Sattar and Mushtaq will be freed. Pray for emotional strength for Sattar and his fiancée during this trying time.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, click here.
VOMC partners to train Christian women in sewing skills throughout Pakistan to provide a sustainable source of income for their families and encourage them in their faith and witness for Christ.
Religion (%) Islam (96.5), Other - Christian and Hindu (3.5)
Leader President Asif Ali Zardari (2024)
Government type Federal parliamentary republic
Legal system Common law system with Islamic law influence
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Pakistan
Pray that amendments will be made to Pakistan's existing blasphemy laws so that the country's citizens – including its children – will be protected from injustice and abuse. May our Lord's mercy and justice prevail, not only in the judiciary system but also in the hearts of the country's militants. Ask Him to transform their "hearts of stone" into hearts that are receptive to His love, mercy and the workings of His Holy Spirit – not only for the purpose of protecting the Christian minority but also for the salvation of their own eternal souls.
On February 27th, an impoverished Christian man named Wasif Masih was collecting wood along the road when he was confronted by a group of six Muslim landowners. The men verbally abused the believer, referring to him as "chuhra" – a term frequently used in Pakistan to insult Christians. The perpetrators then physically beat Wasif and detained him for four hours on a poultry farm.
Waqas Masih. Photo: HARDS Pakistan via Morning Star News
A 22-year-old Christian man was brutally attacked by his supervisor at a paper mill in Sharaqpur, Punjab, when he refused to renounce his faith in Christ. Having sustained severe injuries to his throat on March 21st, Waqas Masih was hospitalized in Lahore where his condition has been reported as critical but stable.
Lahore High Court Photo: Wikipedia / MariyamAftab (cc)
On March 6th, Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz of the Lahore High Court unexpectedly resigned from his judicial post as a court official, effective immediately. The judge cited "personal issues" as the reason for his resignation.
Saba Shafique and her mother. Photo: Christian Daily International-Morning Star News
On January 5th, 12-year-old Saba Shafique was abducted from her home in Lahore, Pakistan, and forced to convert to Islam before being married to her abductor. This devastating incident occurred despite the country's laws prohibiting child marriage.