Pentecostal Pastor Survives Assassination Attempt In Pakistan Amid Rising Persecution, Group Says

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – Police in Pakistan have launched an investigation into a “brutal and cowardly” assassination attempt on a prominent Pentecostal pastor in Islamabad, the capital, at a time of rising persecution of Christians in the Muslim-majority nation, sources told Worthy News on Monday.

Pastor Kamran Naaz was shot Sunday in the Iqbal Town area of Islamabad while riding a motorcycle at a time of rising persecution of Christians in the Muslim-majority nation, according to Christian human rights lawyer Sardar Mushtaq Gill. “He was shot two or three times, including in his leg,” Gill told Worthy News.

Video footage sent by his advocacy group, LEAD Ministries Pakistan, to Worthy News seemed to confirm his observation. An official police report obtained by Worthy News said the pastor was admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital.

The police’s First Information Report (FIR), needed for a criminal investigation, stated that unknown assailants opened fire “with intent to kill.” Doctors confirmed his injuries were consistent with gunfire.

It was not immediately clear what impact the shooting would have on his Pentecostal congregation, PCB Church Chashma Town Sohan Islamabad, and a local Pentecostal alliance of pastors that he leads, Christians told Worthy News.

‘HEINOUS ACT’

“This heinous act is not just an attack on one man—it is a vicious assault on the entire Christian community and a blatant display of religious hatred,” LEAD Ministries Pakistan said in a statement.

Gill, who himself fled death threats by Islamic extremists, urged Christians worldwide “to unite in prayer” and raise their voices, as “the state’s failure to protect its minority citizens is shameful.”

The two suspects involved in the attack, including the gunman, remained at large on Monday, sources said. It was not clear whether a group was behind the attack, but it came amid concern about Islamic extremism in the country, Worthy News documented.

Pastor Imran Amanat, leader of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, warned that the “attack is a direct challenge to our [Christian] community’s right to live in peace and security.”

However, “We will not be intimidated or silenced. We demand that the authorities immediately ensure the protection of Christian leaders and hold the criminals accountable. If the government continues to ignore these threats, it becomes complicit in the persecution.”

PAKISTAN AMONG WORST

Rights group Open Doors ranks Pakistan No. 8 on its 2025 World Watch List of countries where it says Christians face the most severe persecution.

The group estimates that there are about 4.5 million Christians in Pakistan, roughly 1.8 percent of the population.

“Christians are considered second-class citizens and are discriminated against in every sphere of life,” Open Doors said in its latest report. “Christian girls are at risk of abduction and rape, and Christian women and girls are particularly vulnerable to forced conversion and marriage.”

Open Doors also noted that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws continue to be “used disproportionately against Christians,” warning that even false accusations can trigger mob violence.

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