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Impoverished Christians Die In Pakistan Amid Mounting Concerns Over Minority Treatment
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – Several impoverished Christians have died across Pakistan in recent days amid what advocates describe as a pattern of violence, discrimination and hardship potentially threatening the Christian community throughout the predominantly Muslim nation, Christian sources told Worthy News.
Among them was Ashram Masih, a Christian man reportedly shot dead outside his home in the Ghaziabad area of Chichawatni, a city in Pakistan’s Punjab province, by unidentified attackers.
Masih was standing in front of his house when gunmen opened fire, with a bullet striking him in the forehead and killing him, according to Christian sources familiar with the case.
Police reportedly registered a First Information Report (FIR), required to initiate a criminal case in Pakistan, and launched an investigation. The attackers and their motive remained unknown, although Christians in the area and advocates believe Masih may have been deliberately targeted by one or more Muslim hardliners.
Separately, Christian advocates expressed concern over the death of Rambo, a sanitation worker in Multan who reportedly became seriously ill while working and later died after struggling to obtain adequate medical treatment.
CHRISTIAN WORKER DIES
His family claimed he had not received his salary for three months but continued working despite his deteriorating health because his household depended on his income.
Rambo, who reportedly worked for the Suthra Punjab sanitation program, leaves behind a seven-year-old daughter and other relatives who depended on his earnings. Further details, including his family name, were not released, apparently due to security concerns.
Pastor Imran Amanat, head of Christian advocacy group LEAD Ministries, urged authorities to investigate his working conditions, unpaid wages and access to healthcare.
Amanat stressed that sanitation workers, many of whom are Christians in Pakistan, should receive adequate protective equipment, timely salaries, medical care and equal treatment.
The deaths come amid renewed concern over Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws following the arrests of two Christian men in Punjab.
BLASPHEMY CONCERNS
Samuel Arif, 26, was detained in Lahore on August 29 after being accused of making derogatory remarks concerning Islam’s Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha. His family denied the allegations and suggested he may have been falsely implicated following a personal dispute.
Another Christian, Amir Masih, 30, a laborer from Dhala Sharif in Gujranwala District, was arrested August 11 over allegations that he posted a social media video comparing Jesus Christ and Muhammad.
Both cases include charges under Section 295-C of Pakistan’s Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty for blasphemy against Muhammad. The allegations against the men have not been proven in court.
LEAD Ministries campaigns against the current blasphemy legislation, arguing that the provisions contribute to fear and intimidation among Christians and can be misused in personal disputes.
The group has called for the repeal of Sections 295-B and 295-C of Pakistan’s Penal Code, while Amanat urged authorities to ensure Christians receive equal protection and that allegations against religious minorities are determined through evidence and judicial proceedings rather than public pressure.
CHRISTIANS FACE PRESSURE
The latest developments added to concerns among Christians, who comprise only a small minority of Pakistan’s population, with many impoverished believers working in low-paid and hazardous occupations, including sanitation work, according to researchers.
Rights monitors have documented broader pressures ranging from discrimination and the misuse of blasphemy laws to mob violence and attacks targeting Christian communities.
Advocacy group Open Doors ranks Pakistan eighth on its 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it says Christians face the most severe persecution, citing extreme levels of pressure and violence against the nation’s believers.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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