Christian In Pakistan Threatened At Gunpoint For Refusing To Renounce Faith

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – A young Christian cable technician was recovering Wednesday in Pakistan’s second-largest city, Lahore, where he was allegedly abducted, physically assaulted, and threatened at gunpoint in an attempt to force him to abandon his Christian faith.

In comments shared with Worthy News, Washaal Masih suggested he was attacked by Muslim extremists last week, on August 20, in Lahore’s Gajju Matta area.

Masih explained that he was “abducted by three men” and subjected to physical violence and intimidation. The attackers allegedly pressured him “to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam,” using a firearm to threaten him.

Despite the alleged threats, Masih, a former Muslim, stressed that he refused telling his attackers: “I will not renounce my faith in Christ.”

POLICE RESPONSE QUESTIONED

Masih miraculously survived the ordeal. However, when he approached police “to report the abduction, assault and threats,” officers allegedly declined “to properly register” the case.

No arrests were reported Wednesday.

“If confirmed, such difficulties would raise serious concerns about access to justice for a victim reporting alleged religiously motivated violence,” Christian advocate Mushtaq Sardar Gill told Worthy News.

“Authorities should clarify whether a formal complaint was filed, what action was taken and whether a full investigation has been initiated,” he added.

“Masih and his family should also be protected from intimidation, retaliation or further threats while the allegations are investigated,” stressed Gill, founder of the Christian advocacy group LEAD Ministries.

CHRISTIANS SEEK PROTECTION

Pastor Imran Amanat, head of LEAD Ministries, also condemned the alleged attack and urged law-enforcement authorities to protect Masih and ensure his access to justice.

Amanat stressed that Christians and other religious minorities should be able to practice and maintain their religion without fear of violence, intimidation or coercion.

Gill described the alleged attack as “a grave violation of religious freedom and fundamental human rights,” urging authorities to establish whether Masih was abducted and assaulted because he refused to convert to Islam.

Christian advocates also called for relevant evidence, including medical records, witness statements and available security-camera footage, to be examined and for those responsible to be prosecuted if the allegations are substantiated.

PAKISTAN RANKS EIGHTH

The case comes amid concerns about the treatment of Pakistan’s Christian minority.

Pakistan ranks eighth on advocacy group Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution for their faith, with a persecution score of 87 out of 100.

Open Doors notes that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws continue to impact Christians who number about 4.8 million, or roughly 1.9 percent, of the Islamic nation’s roughly 250 million people.

Many believers also face discrimination because of their faith in the Islamic nation, Christians say.

For Christian advocates, Masih’s case has become another test of whether Pakistan’s minorities can practice their faith, report alleged crimes and seek protection from authorities without fear of intimidation.

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