On the night of March 25th, Adnan Masih and his wife Shumaila were heading home from work on their motorcycle when they were suddenly intercepted by two armed gunmen. After seizing the married couple's cell phone and the small amount of cash they were carrying, the thieves physically beat the Christians and demanded more money. Adnan told the gunmen that he and his wife were poor Christians who had nothing more to give. It was then that the attack became more violent.
Whispering between themselves, the assailants phoned a third man who later arrived on a motorcycle. Pulling the drawstring from Adnan's trousers, they tied him up with it. The men then dragged Shumaila to a nearby sugarcane field where they each violently assaulted her. As they left, the men threatened to kill them both if they ever spoke of the attack.
With their motorcycle left damaged by the attack, Adnan and Shumaila walked the rest of the way home, saying nothing to family members who had been worried about them. By the next morning, after praying and talking together, the couple gained the courage to report the incident to the authorities. As a result of the police investigation, the perpetrators – Rana Sher Ali, Muhammad Faisal and Hadayat Ali – were arrested, and all three men presently remain in custody while awaiting trial. Financial and legal support has been provided to the assaulted victims.
Regarded within Pakistani society as lesser citizens, Christians frequently face discrimination and violence. As a result of this systemic bias, followers of Jesus – and other non-Muslim citizens – are often treated unfairly by the country's court system, though some recent rulings suggest that such bias may be waning. For previously published reports that further address the many challenges facing Pakistan's Christians, see our country profile.
- Pray that our merciful Heavenly Father will provide greatly needed physical and emotional healing to this Christian couple – filling them with His abounding hope, comfort and love.
- Also pray that the three men responsible for this brutal attack will be held accountable for their horrific actions so that justice will be upheld.
- Pray for God's protecting hand upon His people in Pakistan, asking Him to draw near to each one of our Christian brothers and sisters and remind them of the fact that they are very precious in His sight.
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