Tags

Pakistan

• Acquitted Christian Remains in "Virtual Prison"

  

  In 2013, Sawan Masih was arrested after his neighbour accused him of committing blasphemy. When the accused Christian man was convicted in 2014, he received the death sentence. After serving six years in prison, he was acquitted of all charges on October 5th, 2020, by the Lahore High Court. For more details on his case, go to this page.

• Teenager Forcibly Married to 60-Year-Old Man

  

  Sitara Arif, a 15-year-old Christian girl, was kidnapped on December 15th in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Abducted by the husband of her employer, she was forcibly converted to Islam and then married to her captor. It took almost two months for police to finally register a case against Rana Tayyab, despite repeated pleas from the girl's family.

• Christian Farmers Killed in Two Separate Attacks

  

  Muhammad Waseem, a Muslim landowner in Punjab's Khanewal district, assaulted and killed a Christian farm labourer on February 6th after accusing the believer of stealing oranges from his property. The victim, Emmanuel Masih, was irrigating the orchard at around 3 a.m. when he was approached by Muhammad and four other men. Though Emmanuel pled his innocence, the five men brutally beat the married father of six to death.

• Official Threatens Christian with Blasphemy Charges

  

  A Christian security guard at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan, was recently threatened with blasphemy charges because she insisted on following regulations. Thankfully, the incident was captured on video footage, documenting the entire exchange.

• Young Domestic Worker Sexually Assaulted

  

  A Christian girl in Pakistan who worked as a domestic servant is still awaiting justice three months after she was raped at her employer's home. Even though the incident was reported to police, no action has been taken to arrest those responsible.

• Family Under Threat Unless Father Renounces Christianity

  

  Yasir Masih, a father of two, resides in Karachi, Pakistan. Several months ago, the Christian man's wife left their home after being convinced by Yasir's aunt to convert to Islam. Since that time, other members of the family have been pressuring him to also convert.

• Escaped Child Bride Seeks Annulment

  

  Anita Emmanuel was 16 years old when she was kidnapped by her rickshaw driver over a year ago in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Since both of her parents worked, arrangements had been made for Muhammad Wasim to drop the Christian teenager off at school each day and then bring her home after classes. Everything was fine until Muhammad began to become more friendly and, unfortunately, Anita did not recognize the warning signs.

• Christian Falsely Accused of Blasphemy

  

  On October 5th, James Masih from Layyah, Punjab, was accused of blasphemy by a patient in the hospital where he worked. Although the accused Christian man was a sanitation worker at the hospital, his duties also included assisting outpatients and staff in the emergency ward.

• Parents' Appeal for Custody Denied

  

  A Christian family in Rawalpindi, a city located in the Pakistani state of Punjab, are anxiously waiting for the safe return of their 13-year-old daughter, nearly four months after her abduction. Zarvia Pervaiz was kidnapped, forcibly converted and married in April to a man the family had formerly trusted.

• Threatened Christian Mother of Five in Shelter

  

  A Christian woman and her five children have been forced into hiding after receiving death threats demanding that she convert to Islam. Despite these warnings, Naseem Bibi has refused to abandon her faith, even though it means having to flee home with her five children, who range in age from eight to 22.