A 22-year-old Christian employee, Waqas Masih, is battling for all times within the hospital after he was brutally assaulted at Subhan Allah Paper Mills in Sharaqpur, Pakistan, which has highlighted ongoing spiritual tensions within the office.
In keeping with the household, Masih had been working as a contractor on the manufacturing facility for six months and was the one Christian worker. For over a month, he had been dealing with growing strain to transform to Islam, which he constantly and quietly refused.
On Friday, 21 March 2025, the scenario escalated dramatically. Whereas Masih’s father was visiting the manufacturing facility, a supervisor named Zohaib Iftikhar referred to as Masih into a personal room. Throughout this encounter, Zohaib questioned Masih about his spiritual beliefs and why he hadn’t accepted Islam.
When Masih stood agency in his religion, the scenario turned violent. Iftikhar immediately produced a cardboard-cutting blade and slashed Masih’s throat, concentrating on his jugular vein earlier than fleeing the scene.
Masih was rushed to Mayo Hospital in Lahore, the place he stays in essential situation. “Unable to talk attributable to his accidents, he later wrote an in depth assertion explaining that he had been falsely accused of tearing pages from an Arabic e-book—a standard blasphemy allegation used to persecute Christians in Pakistan,” mentioned Nasir Saeed, Director, CLAAS-UK, a corporation supporting persecuted Christians, to Christian Right this moment.
Masih claimed the assault was a deliberate try to take away him from his job and body him for spiritual causes.
Authorized Response
Manufacturing facility administration has registered a First Info Report (FIR) with the Sharaqpur Police Station, and the attacker is presently in police custody. Nonetheless, there are issues in regards to the potential for delayed or denied justice in such circumstances, says Saeed.
The incident underscores the continuing challenges confronted by spiritual minorities in Pakistan, significantly Christians who typically expertise office discrimination and spiritual strain.
Saeed, has referred to as for prayers and help for Waqas Masih and his household throughout this tough time.
“The household is presently dealing with important emotional, medical, and authorized challenges, hoping for Waqas’s restoration and a good authorized course of,” mentioned Saeed.
Masih is the eldest of six siblings and helps help his household. His father, Riyasat Masih, works in native mills, and his mom, Bushra Riyasat, is employed as a maid in a personal faculty.
Prayer Factors:
· Bodily therapeutic and full restoration for Waqas
· Peace and energy for his dad and mom and siblings as they endure this trauma
· Emotional and psychological therapeutic from the worry, ache, and shock
· Justice—that the authorized system would act swiftly and pretty to carry the attacker accountable
· Safety for the household from retaliation or strain throughout authorized proceedings
· A broader awakening within the Pakistani authorities to reform the misuse of blasphemy legal guidelines
· Consolation and provision for the household, who’re dealing with medical, authorized, and emotional burdens far past their means
