play_arrow

keyboard_arrow_right

Listeners:

Top listeners:

skip_previous skip_next
00:00 00:00
playlist_play chevron_left
volume_up
  • cover play_arrow

Pakistan Muslims ‘Abduct’ Christian Boy

Background

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – A heartbroken Christian widow cried out for help Wednesday, saying her teenage son was “abducted” by Muslim extremists in Pakistan’s Punjab province and “forced to convert to Islam.”

In remarks shared with Worthy News, the widow, Rehana Imran, explained that her 15-year-old son Shamraiz Masih was “abducted” Monday, July 21, in the urban area of Sargodha city. “He left the house to buy some stuff and didn’t come home.”

Imran said she is “being denied any contact with him,” adding that despite her “desperate pleas,” local police “have not taken meaningful action.”

According to police documents seen by Worthy News, at least five suspects are allegedly involved, including three named Tuheed, Rehman, and Munir, but nobody was detained on Wednesday.

They are mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR) filed by a boy’s brother in a move necessary for police to launch a criminal investigation.

As a widow and mother, she stressed that she “is begging the authorities, civil society, and Muslim community leaders” to help bring her son back and reunite their broken family. No mother should be separated from her child under coercion or fear.”

CALLING FOR PRAYERS

Pastor Imran Amanat, leader of advocacy group LEAD Ministries Pakistan, told Worthy News that he “is calling on the global Christian community to pray for this grieving mother and her son.”

He urged “believers around the world to stand in prayer and solidarity with persecuted Christian families in Pakistan.”

Additionally, “We urge the Punjab Government, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and all relevant authorities to intervene immediately, ensure justice is served, and protect the rights of religious minorities,” he added.

Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, told Worthy News that while the boy claimed he “went willingly” with Muslims, “he is under 18 years old and as per law it is considered abduction.”

Gill stressed that “the systemic discrimination and social pressure faced by Christian families are pushing young people into vulnerable positions. They are then coerced or deceived into conversion” to Islam.

The teenager is one of the estimated 4.5 million Christians comprising nearly two percent of Pakistan’s mainly Muslim population of 252 million people.

INSTITUTIONALISED DISCRIMINATION

“All Christians suffer institutionalised discrimination. Occupations that are deemed low, dirty, and degrading – such as cleaning sewers or working in brick kilns – are reserved for Christians by the authorities,” said Christian advocacy group Open Doors.

“Many are referred to as ‘chura’, a derogatory term meaning ‘filthy’. Christians are also vulnerable to being trapped in bonded labour,” the group added.

“Christians from Muslim backgrounds suffer the brunt of persecution from radical Islamist groups and families, friends, and neighbours. Radicals regard them as apostates, while families and the community see conversion as a shameful act of betrayal.”

Pakistan ranks 8th on the annual World Watch List of 50 nations where Open Doors says Christians face most persecution.

“We are in a spiritual battle… So we will be Christ – even to our enemies. We will show them that our faith is stronger than their hate,” said a Christian, known as Rashid.

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.


Latest News from Worthy News

Trump Seeks Negotiations to Acquire Greenland, Rules Out Use of Force at Davos
Trump Seeks Negotiations to Acquire Greenland, Rules Out Use of Force at Davos
Wednesday, January 21, 2026

President Donald Trump said the United States is pursuing negotiations to acquire Greenland while ruling out the use of military force, framing the controversial proposal as a necessary security measure rather than an economic or mineral-driven ambition.

Gold Hits Record High As Trump Says Europe ‘Not Heading In Right Direction’
Gold Hits Record High As Trump Says Europe ‘Not Heading In Right Direction’
Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Gold prices surged to a record high on Wednesday as investors sought safety the deepest crisis in the transatlantic alliance in decades with U.S. President Donald J. Trump saying Europe “is not heading in the right direction.”

Trump Marks One Year In Office With Combative Press Conference
Trump Marks One Year In Office With Combative Press Conference
Wednesday, January 21, 2026

U.S. President Donald J. Trump marked one year since returning to the White House with a wide-ranging and often confrontational press conference, defending his record while renewing criticism of political opponents, major media outlets, and several U.S. allies.

Russia’s Massive Winter Assault Plunges Kyiv Into Darkness; Civilians Endure Subzero Conditions
Russia’s Massive Winter Assault Plunges Kyiv Into Darkness; Civilians Endure Subzero Conditions
Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Thousands in Ukraine’s capital braced for a bitter winter night late Tuesday after Russian forces unleashed another deadly barrage of missiles and drones that severely damaged critical infrastructure and worsened a deepening humanitarian crisis. The winter offensive has knocked out power, water, and heating across much of Kyiv, officials said.

Wilders Faces Historic Setback As Seven Lawmakers Quit PVV In Major Party Split
Wilders Faces Historic Setback As Seven Lawmakers Quit PVV In Major Party Split
Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Dutch firebrand politician Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV), faced his most severe political crisis Tuesday after seven members of parliament resigned from the party’s parliamentary group, dramatically weakening its influence in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands.

Entitlement Fraud Costs Taxpayers Billions … Or Trillions, Dwarfing Minnesota
Entitlement Fraud Costs Taxpayers Billions … Or Trillions, Dwarfing Minnesota
Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Since 2020, fraudsters have scammed at least $36 billion and as much as $3 trillion in tax money from federal entitlement programs, dwarfing the amount federal prosecutors claim was stolen in Minnesota’s federal food aid scandal known as Feeding Our Future, an investigation by The Center Square found.

House To Vote On Last Four Govt. Funding Bills Costing $1.2 Trillion
House To Vote On Last Four Govt. Funding Bills Costing $1.2 Trillion
Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Ten days before the government funding deadline, congressional appropriators released the last four fiscal year 2026 spending bills for the U.S. House to vote on.

WHO WE ARE

The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.

CONTACT