Pakistan Christians Demand Justice After Custody Death, Girl Abduction (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Christians in Pakistan demand justice after police allegedly tortured and killed a Catholic father of four while elsewhere a 16-year-old Christian girl was abducted, “forcibly converted to Islam and possibly married to a Muslim prayer leader,” Christians said.

Family members say 42-year-old Iftikhar Masih died on March 26, within hours of being taken into custody in Lahore on what they described as false kidnapping charges. Police claimed he committed suicide, but relatives reported visible signs of torture and alleged officers demanded a bribe for his release.

His brother, Riyasat Masih, said there was no evidence of any kidnapping complaint and accused police of fabricating the case to extort money. The family says it has yet to receive a post-mortem report.

The case sparked protests by hundreds of local Christians, prompting authorities to register a case against a police officer, who was later detained.

CUSTODY DEATH SPARKS PROTESTS

Rights groups say the incident reflects broader concerns about deaths in custody and extrajudicial killings in Punjab Province, where at least 924 people were killed in police encounters in the first eight months of 2025, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

“The extreme casualty imbalance and repeated patterns point to systemic abuse rather than isolated incidents,” said Asad Iqbal Butt, referring to broader findings on police conduct.

Advocates say families often report that victims were already in custody before being killed in what authorities later describe as armed encounters.

Pakistan’s Christian minority has long reported discrimination and limited legal protection.

‘GIRL ABDUCTED, FORCED CONVERSION’

In a separate case, a 16-year-old Christian girl, identified as Neha, disappeared on March 24 after attending sewing classes in Punjab’s Kasur District.

Her father, identified as Faqeer Masih, said she was abducted and later forcibly converted to Islam, possibly for marriage to a Muslim prayer leader. Worthy News does not provide full names of victims of possible abuse unless they choose to make their identities public.

Police later said the girl told a court she had converted willingly, but her family disputes this, suggesting delays in police action enabled coercion.

Cases of alleged forced conversions have remained controversial in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where efforts to pass stronger legal protections faced resistance

A provincial lawmaker has urged authorities to intensify efforts to locate the girl and investigate the suspects.

MINORITIES FACE ONGOING PRESSURE

Advocacy groups say such incidents reflect a wider pattern affecting minority communities, particularly Christian and Hindu girls from economically vulnerable backgrounds.

According to the latest Open Doors World Watch List, Pakistan ranks eighth among countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, citing discrimination, violence, and forced conversions.

For many Christians, the latest cases underscore fears that justice remains elusive and that vulnerable minorities continue to face abuse with limited accountability.

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