Tags

Pakistan

• Christian Medical Worker Forced to Decline Promotion

  

  In recent months, a number of healthcare workers in Pakistan have faced opposition because of their Christian faith. In April, two nurses were charged with blasphemy after following instructions from their supervisor (see this report). In another instance, a nurse was accused of blasphemy by her co-workers for no apparent reason and subjected to abuse (read more). The latest reported case involves a Christian man who had been threatened and assaulted after receiving a promotion to a leadership position at his place of employment.

• Acquitted Couple Finally Released!

  

  In Pakistan, many Christians have been falsely accused of blasphemy, resulting in years of imprisonment. If released, their lives are frequently in greater danger outside of prison due to the threat of mob violence --- posing them to conditions that are far more serious than those they faced while in prison. To learn more about what life is like for Christians in Pakistan, and to read about the situations they have encountered, go to our country report.

• Young Teens Forcibly Converted by Employers

  

  Two 13-year-old girls from Christian families have been forcibly married to their employers and converted to Islam in separate incidents. These recent cases further demonstrate the ongoing abuse of young Christian girls in the country. It is estimated that about 1,000 believers were married against their wills to militant Muslims between November 2019 and October 2020. For information on Christian persecution in Pakistan, and to read reports about other instances of forced conversion, go to our country report.

  Nayab Gill
  On May 31st, Shahid Gill received the devastating news that the custody of his 13-year-old daughter had been given to a 30-year-old man who forcibly converted her to Islam and then married her.

• Life Sentence Upheld

  

  Pakistani pastor, Zafar Bhatti, has been in prison since July 2012, after being accused of sending blasphemous text messages. In May 2017, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The accused pastor denies any involvement in the texts, stating that the phone in question was not even registered in his name (see this report).

  After numerous delayed appeal hearings, a court in Rawalpindi ruled on June 22nd, 2021, to uphold the sentence, despite the fact that new evidence had been presented proving Pastor Zafar's innocence. His lawyers now intend to appeal to the High Court.

• Christian Murdered for Defending His Sister

  

  A Christian man was allegedly killed by a group of militant Muslims for defending his sister's honour. On May 23rd, Arif Masih was kidnapped, beaten, poisoned and abandoned on a street of Tariqabad village in Punjab.

• Christian Couple Acquitted of Blasphemy

  

  After seven years on death row, Shafqat Emmanuel and his wife Shagufta Kausar were cleared of all charges against them by a Pakistani court on June 3rd, 2021. They were convicted on April 4th, 2014, after being accused of sending "blasphemous" text messages. The texts were allegedly sent from Shagufta's phone, which had gone missing a month prior and was never recovered. Furthermore, as the couple are illiterate, they would not have been able to send the alleged texts. (See this page for more details on the original conviction.)

• Conversion by Deception

  

  Adnan Bashir is a mentally challenged Christian man living in Gujjar Khan, Punjab. On April 14th, he wandered from his home and inadvertently encountered a protest being held by members of the Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Party.

• Christian Man Tortured Into False Confession

  

  On February 13th, Haroon Ayub Masih and his friend Salamat Mansha Masih were accused of blasphemy after reading the Bible out loud at a public park in Lahore, Pakistan, and then offering a Christian book to a Muslim man. Haroon and his family escaped into hiding, but Salamat was arrested (read more).

• Death Threats Against Released Christian Teen

  

  On March 1st, Nabeel Masih's lawyer successfully argued that there was no evidence of blasphemy committed by the teenage Christian, resulting in his release from a prison in Pakistan on March 18th (read more). He was then swiftly taken into hiding for his protection from militant crowds demanding his death.

• Two Christian Nurses Accused of Blasphemy

  

  On April 9th, Maryam Lal and Navish Arooj were directed by a senior nurse to clean up the walls of the Civil Hospital in Faisalabad, Pakistan, by removing any wall hangings or stickers found. When the Christians did as they were told, they were accused of desecrating wall hangings containing verses from the Quran. The two nurses have now been formally charged with blasphemy against Islam.