A pastor and his family are now in hiding, gripped by fear and heartbreak, after a horrific ordeal involving their 14-year-old daughter. The unimaginable pain began when a neighbor, who had already raped the girl, attempted to kidnap her, demanding she convert to Islam and marry him. Pastor Aslam Masih from Muridke, Punjab, shared how this nightmare unfolded.
On October 31, his daughter was walking to school when Suleman Azhar blocked her path with his motorcycle, forcing her to get on. Panicked and desperate, the brave teenager managed to escape and run home. Shaken and terrified, she revealed that Azhar had been relentlessly harassing her, pressuring her to convert and marry him.
“When I confronted him, he threatened me, saying I couldn’t protect my daughter,” Pastor Masih said, his voice heavy with anguish. Little did he know the depths of his daughter’s suffering. In a moment of heart-wrenching honesty, she later broke down, revealing that Azhar and his accomplices had abducted her in September, brutally assaulted her, and raped her. She had kept this unspeakable trauma to herself, terrified that her family might be killed.
Fearing for their lives, the family fled to a relative’s home in Lahore. But their attempt to find safety only provoked Azhar further. He attacked their house, smashing property and firing shots into the air, spreading terror in their neighborhood. Despite Pastor Masih’s desperate plea for help, authorities showed little urgency. Although an initial complaint was filed on November 2, no action was taken. Instead, Azhar secured pre-arrest bail, using his newfound freedom to issue threats and demand the family withdraw their case.
The pastor’s pleas for justice have fallen on deaf ears, leaving his family feeling abandoned and betrayed by the system meant to protect them. “The police’s indifference has emboldened Suleman. We feel helpless,” Pastor Masih said.
Through court intervention, the victim’s statement was finally recorded, but the case’s initial charge — a lenient section regarding the use of criminal force — was a gross understatement of the crime. Legal experts have called for proper charges under Pakistan’s Penal Code, where such heinous acts are punishable with severe penalties, including life imprisonment or death.
Community leaders have condemned the atrocity and the systemic failures that have allowed such horrors to persist. “This is not just a crime against a Christian daughter; this is an attack on humanity,” said Aslam Pervez Sahotra, chairman of the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party. He urged leaders and citizens alike to unite in demanding justice. “Our daughters are living in fear. The government must act decisively to restore their faith and security.”
The U.N. Human Rights Committee echoed these concerns, highlighting the alarming rise in abductions, forced conversions, and violence against minority girls in Pakistan. They condemned the impunity that perpetuates such crimes, calling for swift and meaningful action to protect vulnerable communities.
As the Masih family remains in hiding, their story serves as a haunting reminder of the courage and resilience required to seek justice in the face of overwhelming injustice. It is a call for compassion, accountability, and change.