MY ACCOUNT
At A Glance:
A young Pakistani Christian, 22-year-old Premi Masih, was shot dead Sunday, June 14, after his brother refused to keep working in bonded slave labor. The family reportedly had endured weeks of threats and asked local police for help – but received none.
Threats Lead to Murder
The brother had been working for a Muslim landlord in Pakistan’s Punjab province under bonded-labor conditions.
The family said he was required to work excessively long hours while receiving little compensation beyond food and basic necessities. When the brothers refused to continue working under those conditions, the landlord demanded the equivalent of $600 to release the brother from debt, according to a report in the Pakistan Christian Post.
Family members told Worthy News that after they were unable to meet the payment demand, a group of local Muslim men began pressuring and threatening them. The men repeatedly came to their home, fired shots at the house, and threatened women in the household with being dragged naked through the streets.
On June 14, armed men returned and opened fire on the house, critically injuring Masih. He was rushed to a hospital in Lahore, the provincial capital, but died of his injuries hours later.
The atrocity sparked outrage among Pakistan’s Christian community, according to advocacy group LEAD Ministries, which documents incidents of violence, discrimination, and persecution affecting Christians in Pakistan.
Pastor Imran Amanat of LEAD Ministries voiced sorrow over Masih’s death and questioned the effectiveness of law enforcement in protecting vulnerable communities.
“After hearing the details of this tragic incident, it appears that ordinary citizens, especially members of minority communities, continue to face serious challenges in obtaining protection and justice,” Amanat told Worthy News. “We urge the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation and hold all those responsible accountable under the law.”
Relatives said they reported the threats and harassment to local police and sought protection but “no meaningful action” was taken over the weekend despite the seriousness of the complaints. Voice of Pakistan Minority reported that no official public response has been offered to address the family’s allegations.
The killing came four days after a parallel incident: Zain Masih, also 22, was fatally stabbed only four days earlier in another city in Punjab. The Voice of Pakistan Minority (thevopm.org) noted the murder was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern – “where discrimination, economic exploitation, and insecurity intersect, often leaving the most marginalized without meaningful protection.”
Christians make up only about 2% of the population in Pakistan, an Islamic nation of more than 240 million people. Christians face severe persecution through blasphemy laws, forced conversions and forced marriages of Christian girls, social discrimination, and outright violence.
Please pray:
- That God would comfort the family and protect them as the payment issue continues
- For greater protection for Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan
- That authorities would act with integrity to investigate the murder and hold perpetrators accountable
In other recent persecution news:
Forged court documents were used to validate the marriage of a 13-year-old Christian girl to her 30-year-old abductor, according to Christian rights activists and legal experts.
A Mozambique bishop was shot dead in his own home June 6. African Catholic leadership has framed the killing as an assault on a peacemaker who had repeatedly spoken out against the Islamist insurgency targeting Christians in the area.
A Christian pastor in Myanmar was killed June 4 when military jets made four bombing runs across three villages in Karenni State, killing Hsar Eh Klu, a 38-year-old Baptist pastor and youth leader. Karenni is about 50% Christian and has been one of the most heavily bombed regions of Myanmar since the February 2021 military takeover of the country.
Above photo illustration: Pakistan National Commission for Justice and Peace
Make a Generational Impact 200 Families Freed — But Many More Still Wait
Because of your generosity, 200 families in Pakistan are free from bonded labor. But countless others remain trapped in slavery and persecution.
Your continued prayers and support can open the door to freedom for even more families. Consider how you can help through your prayer and support.
