Christian Sanitation Worker Brutally Assaulted In Pakistan’s Punjab Province (Worthy News Investigation)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – A Christian sanitation worker in eastern Pakistan has alleged he was brutally beaten while performing municipal cleaning duties in what advocacy groups describe as part of mounting pressure on Christians in the Muslim-majority nation.

In a video sent to Worthy News on Thursday, Yousaf Masih, a middle-aged Christian sanitation worker and father of several children, is seen standing against a brick wall with one eye swollen shut and deep bruising across the left side of his face. The injury appears consistent with blunt-force trauma, with his left eye heavily discolored and nearly closed.

Masih said the attack occurred in the Francis Abad area along Pasrur Road in Gujranwala, an industrial city in Pakistan’s Punjab province near the Indian border.

“I only told them that cleaning work had to be done there. It is our duty,” Masih said in the footage. “Instead of listening to me, they beat me.”

According to Masih, four fruit vendors assaulted him after he asked them to allow sanitation workers to clear garbage from the area as part of the provincial “Suthra Punjab” cleanliness program.

ALLEGED ASSAULT WITH IRON WEIGHT

“They hit me with a two-kilogram (4.4 pounds) iron weight from the scale,” he recalled. “They subjected me to severe violence. I am a poor man with a family.”

Masih said he attempted to calm the situation respectfully. “I told them, ‘Younger brother, do not abuse me. I am older than you.’ But they did not listen.”

Eyewitnesses noted that the same individuals had previously verbally abused Masih’s supervisor, but no preventive action had been taken.

Masih said the humiliation did not end with the assault.

“For two days, they have been humiliating me. Even yesterday, I came home at midnight for food. The whole day they kept me there,” he explained.

CLAIMS OFFICIALS WERE PRESENT

He claimed dozens of people were present after the incident. “There were about 70 to 80 people there, along with company officers,” Masih said, adding that local government officials were also present, including the Deputy Commissioner (Relief) — a senior district administrator responsible for emergency and welfare matters — and the Assistant Commissioner (Relief), who oversees local administrative operations. He said police inspectors, municipal supervisors, and other staff were also at the scene.

He questioned why no decisive legal action had followed. “Why is the department not taking action?” he asked.

Advocacy group LEAD Ministries strongly condemned the assault, describing it as more than an isolated incident.

“This attack is not just an isolated incident — it reflects the daily fear, humiliation, and insecurity faced by Christian workers in Pakistan,” said Pastor Imran Amanat, leader of LEAD Ministries.

“Christian sanitation workers, who perform essential duties for our communities, are repeatedly targeted because of their faith and socio-economic status,” he added in a statement to Worthy News. “Their lives, dignity, and safety are constantly under threat.”

CHRISTIANS FACE MOUNTING PRESSURE IN PAKISTAN

Christians comprise roughly 1.4 percent of Pakistan’s population of about 240 million people. Many are employed in sanitation work, a profession historically associated with marginalized communities, said Mushtaq Sardar Gill, the LEAD founder and human rights lawyer.

Rights advocates say Christian laborers are often vulnerable to harassment, violence, and discrimination, particularly in Punjab province, where recent years have seen high-profile mob attacks against Christian neighborhoods following blasphemy allegations.

Masih and his family have appealed to Maryam Nawaz, Chief Minister of Punjab, urging urgent intervention and strict legal action against those responsible.

LEAD Ministries said it fully supports the appeal and called on authorities to ensure protection for vulnerable minorities and uphold constitutional rights.

“Justice for Yousaf Masih is not just a matter of law — it is a matter of humanity,” Pastor Amanat said. “No one should fear for their life or dignity simply because of their faith.”

RECENT ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE IN PUNJAB

Local authorities did not immediately publicly comment, and it was not clear whether formal charges had been filed at the time of reporting.

Advocates say the case underscores broader concerns about discrimination and the need for decisive enforcement of laws protecting religious minorities in Muslim-majority Pakistan.

The latest reported violence follows numerous anti-Christian incidents in the region. Earlier this week, Christian resident Sarwar Masih said his family home, where generations had lived, was “unlawfully occupied” following accusations that he had insulted Islam.

Video footage obtained by Worthy News showed Islamic banners bearing Quranic verses and images of the Kaaba, a site Muslims regard as Islam’s holiest shrine, displayed on the property.

In August 2023, more than 20 churches and about 80 Christian homes were destroyed after blasphemy allegations against two Christian residents — claims later rejected by investigators.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court in February 2024 criticized the police investigation, saying relevant information had not been provided and urging authorities to bring perpetrators to justice. Of the more than 5,200 individuals accused in connection with the violence, over 380 were reportedly arrested, but many were later released on bail, advocates say.

Latest Worthy News