14-Year-Old Christian Boy Allegedly Forcibly Converted and Separated from Family in Sheikhupura
February 28, 2026
A Christian family in Punjab is seeking justice after their 14-year-old son was allegedly forcibly converted to Islam and taken from them by his employer. The case highlights ongoing concerns about exploitation and forced religious conversions of vulnerable minority children in Pakistan.
A Christian family in Sheikhupura District, Punjab, has appealed to authorities after their 14-year-old son, Jameel Masih, was allegedly forcibly converted to Islam and taken into illegal custody by his Muslim employer.
According to the boy’s father, Sharif Masih, a daily wage laborer and member of the New Apostolic Church, financial hardship forced him to send his son to work at the cattle shed of a local landowner, Muhammad Boota Bajwa, about five years ago in Pancho Baig Kotla village.
Instead of paying regular wages, the employer reportedly agreed to compensate the family with five maunds of wheat (approximately 440 lbs) per year, valued at about 16,000 Pakistani rupees (around $58). Under this arrangement, the parents were allowed to visit their son once a month and occasionally bring him home overnight.
The situation escalated on February 22, when Sharif Masih and his wife, Nazia, visited the landowner’s house to see their son but were refused entry. According to the family, the employer told them that Jameel no longer wished to meet them.
Concerned, the parents raised the issue with local village elders. After discussions, elders reportedly determined that as a minor, Jameel could not legally change his religion and ordered that he be returned to his family. The boy was briefly reunited with his parents and brought home.
However, only hours later, the employer allegedly arrived at the family’s home with armed men, assaulted the parents, and forcibly took the boy away again. Since that time, the family says they have not been allowed to see their son and have faced intimidation when attempting to inquire about his whereabouts.
The parents later discovered a TikTok video circulating locally showing Jameel wearing an Islamic cap while a religious hymn played in the background. Community members informed them that the boy had reportedly converted to Islam.
With assistance from the Christian advocacy group HARDS Pakistan, the family has submitted a written complaint to Farooqabad Saddar Police Station, requesting the recovery of their son and the arrest of those allegedly responsible.
Human rights advocates say the case may also be linked to bonded labor practices, where economically vulnerable families become dependent on landowners and employers. Minority children in such circumstances can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation, forced conversion, and separation from their families.
Pakistan still lacks a specific federal law criminalizing forced religious conversions, particularly involving minors. Activists have repeatedly called for legal reforms to address the issue.
Christians make up only about 1.37 percent of Pakistan’s population, according to the 2023 national census, and are disproportionately represented among low-income laborers. Advocacy organizations say this economic vulnerability frequently exposes minority families to exploitation and abuse.
Pakistan currently ranks 8th on the Open Doors 2026 World Watch List, which identifies the countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.
As the investigation continues, human rights advocates are urging authorities to act swiftly to ensure the safe recovery of the child, hold those responsible accountable, and strengthen protections for vulnerable minority communities.