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Pakistan

• Blasphemy Conviction for Online Posts

  

  In August 2023, the Christian colony of Jaranwala was filled with violence after allegations of blasphemy were made against two brothers. During the rampage, as many as 400 homes and 26 church buildings were damaged or destroyed. For more details, and to view video footage of the attacks, see this page.

• Christian Woman Killed by Relatives

  

  A Christian woman was beaten to death with a hammer and other weapons on June 24th because of her conversion to Christianity. The murder took place in Toylanka, a village in the state of Chhattisgarh.

• Wife of Nazir Masih Dies of a Heart Attack

  

  In May, shocking images of mob violence were revealed after 74-year-old Nazir Masih was falsely accused of burning pages from the Quran. The elderly Christian man was fatally wounded during the resulting mob violence, which also led to the destruction of his shoemaking business, along with several attacks against other Christians. Further details on the violent rampage are available here.

• Christian Falsely Accused of Blasphemy Succumbs to Injuries

  

  On May 25th, an angry mob rampaged through a Christian community in Sargodha, Punjab, instigated by false allegations that a 74-year-old Christian man named Nazir Masih had burned pages of the Quran. For more details on the attack, see this report. With deep sorrow, we regret to announce that Nazir succumbed to his injuries just after midnight on June 3rd.

• Allegations Lead to Mob Violence

  

  An angry mob consisting of hundreds of people rampaged through a Christian community in Sargodha, Punjab, on May 25th. Thankfully, police were able to disperse the crowd with tear gas and rescue at least two Christian families whose homes had been surrounded. However, significant damages took place during the mob attack, and 74-year-old Nazir Masih was left with life-threatening injuries. Stirred up by Islamic clerics who accused Nazir of blasphemy, the mob ransacked and burned the Christian man's home and shoemaking business. The crowd also attacked other Christians in the community and threw stones at responding police, injuring at least ten officers.

• Pastor Meets with Imprisoned Zafar Bhatti

  

  Zafar Bhatti has been held in prison for 12 years on allegations of blasphemy. Although initially sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017, the Christian man's punishment was changed to include the death penalty in January 2022. During his time in prison, Zafar has faced various health issues. Diagnosed with diabetes, he suffered two minor heart attacks in 2019 and another in 2020. For previously published reports on Zafar's case, go to this page.

• Murder Victim's Family Members Face Threats

  

  On November 9th, a 20-year-old Christian student named Farhan Ul Qamar was killed in his family's home by a man known for his hatred towards Christians and Jews. The attack is believed to have occurred as a result of religious tensions escalated by the violence in Gaza. For details on Farhan's murder, go to this page.

• New Look at Evidence Against a Long-Imprisoned Christian

  

  In 2002, Anwar Kenneth received a court verdict sentencing him to death, purportedly for defending Christianity in the days following the September 11th attacks on the New York World Trade Centre. He had written a letter in which he defended his Christian faith and, as a part of that, expressed his belief that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was not a prophet of God.

• College Student Accused of Blasphemy

  

  Ashbeel Ghauri was recently arrested following accusations from a former classmate that he had allegedly disrespected Islam during a WhatsApp conversation. According to Ashbeel's father, Babar, the young Christian man had engaged in conversation several times with Sheraz Gulistan and other Muslims who attempted to convert him to Islam. Babar believes that Sheraz implicated Ashbeel after the young man refused to renounce his faith in Christ.

• Young Girl Forcibly Converted

  

  On the night of February 11th, ten-year-old Laiba Suhail was abducted from her home in the Faisalabad District of Punjab. The Christian girl's captor has been identified as Muhammad Mohsin Shah – a man who is well known in the area for abducting and forcibly converting girls from religious minorities.