In the quiet corridors of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Pakistan, a mother of three, a devoted Christian woman, went about her daily work as a cleaner, unaware that her life was about to be shattered by an unimaginable betrayal. Muhammad Asif Sadiq, a security guard at the university, preyed upon her vulnerability, spinning a web of deceit that would leave her physically, emotionally, and spiritually scarred.
It began with a promise—an offer to help her enroll in a government financial assistance program. Struggling to provide for her children and her ailing husband, who suffers from cancer, she placed her trust in Sadiq. What followed was a nightmare beyond comprehension. Under the guise of filling out application forms, he tricked her into giving her thumb impression on fraudulent documents—papers that falsely claimed she had converted to Islam and married him. Before she could grasp the extent of his deception, she found herself imprisoned in his house, a hostage to his cruelty for eight long days.
Her husband, Asif Masih, was devastated. At first, he struggled to believe the truth. But when Sadiq shamelessly proclaimed her conversion and marriage, Masih knew it was a vile lie. His wife was a steadfast Christian—renouncing her faith was unthinkable. Desperate, he turned to the community, pleading with a local Panchayat (council of elders) to intervene. Under mounting pressure, Sadiq reluctantly released her but warned that if the family reported the crime, there would be dire consequences.
Even after enduring this horrifying ordeal, she had no choice but to return to work. With her husband too sick to earn a living, her meager salary of 28,000 rupees ($101 USD) was the only thing keeping her family afloat. She did everything she could to avoid Sadiq—changing shifts, altering her schedule—hoping to escape his sinister shadow. But her tormentor was not finished with her yet.
On February 14, as she stepped out from work, Sadiq and two accomplices seized her at gunpoint. Helpless, terrified, she was dragged into a car and taken 100 kilometers away to Shahkot, where she was held captive for three excruciating days. This time, there was no pretense of legality—only raw, brutal violence. He beat her, he raped her, he tortured her, breaking her spirit but never her faith.
Somehow, she found the strength to escape. With no money, no allies, she begged strangers for help, piecing together enough to board a bus back home. Bruised, battered, but unbroken, she returned to her family, her children’s faces giving her the courage to fight back.
Masih wasted no time in seeking justice. He filed a police report that very night, but the wheels of justice in Pakistan turn slowly, especially when the victims are powerless and the perpetrators protected by corruption. Days passed before the First Information Report (FIR) was officially registered. The delay gave Sadiq just enough time to secure pre-arrest bail, keeping him free while his victim suffered in silence.
But the family did not give up. Christian attorney Sumera Shafique became their beacon of hope, ensuring the wife’s statement was recorded in court and demanding a medical examination, which confirmed the assault. The fight for justice has gained momentum, but the battle is far from over. As Sadiq walks free, emboldened by a system that fails its most vulnerable, he continues to threaten Masih, demanding that he return his so-called ‘wife’ and withdraw the charges.
This is not just a story of one woman’s suffering; it is a grim reflection of the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan. Forced conversions, fraudulent marriages, and sexual violence are weapons used to silence the powerless. The legal system, riddled with bias, often drags its feet when justice is most urgent.
But silence is no longer an option. This mother, this wife, this survivor deserves more than whispered condolences and half-hearted investigations. She deserves justice. The world must bear witness to her suffering and demand that the predator who stole her dignity pays for his crimes. The law must prevail. Sadiq must be held accountable, not just for her sake, but for every woman who has been brutalized and ignored.
She is not just a victim. She is a warrior, a testament to resilience. Now, it is time for the world to stand with her and say: Enough.