Christian Laborer Abducted, Shamed, and Paraded for Collecting Dead Wood in Pakistan

March 10, 2025

In a deeply disturbing incident of religious and social persecution, a Christian man in Pakistan was brutally attacked, humiliated, and paraded through his village by Muslim landowners who falsely accused him of theft. The incident highlights the growing vulnerability of minorities in the country.

On February 27, 2025, Wasif George, a 34-year-old Christian day laborer from Chak 110-GB Chak Jhumra in Faisalabad District, Punjab Province, was abducted by a group of at least seven Muslim men after he went to collect firewood at the request of his mother. According to his brother, Patras George, Wasif was not stealing but merely gathering fallen branches from the ground for cooking purposes.

The attackers, identified as Junaid Javed, Tetar Ul Haq, Jahanzeb Javed, and Naeem Saleem, reportedly beat Wasif, forcibly shaved his head and facial hair, blackened his face, and paraded him through the village on a donkey to publicly shame him. The incident took place near a canal and ended at a poultry farm owned by one of the perpetrators, Junaid Javed, where the physical abuse began.

“They used this opportunity to instill fear in the entire village,” said Patras. “If they truly believed he had done something wrong, they should have pursued legal action rather than humiliating him publicly.”

Villagers watched in horror as the abuse unfolded but were too afraid to intervene. The assailants brandished weapons and warned that anyone who tried to help or record the incident would be shot. No one dared to use their phone to document the attack.

When Patras learned about the assault, he rushed to the scene, making multiple emergency calls to the police on the way. By the time he arrived, the perpetrators had fled, leaving his brother in a state of deep emotional trauma.

“I can’t describe the pain of seeing him like that,” Patras said through tears. “He stood there, eyes glazed, broken by the shame inflicted upon him.”

Since the attack, Wasif has become suicidal and is under constant watch by his wife and other family members. His mental health has deteriorated rapidly due to the public humiliation.

Police eventually arrived and arrested only the barber who had shaved Wasif and the brother of one of the landowners. Despite registering a First Information Report (FIR), authorities have yet to arrest the main perpetrators, who have reportedly obtained pre-arrest bail and are pressuring the George family to settle the matter privately.

Patras claims that the perpetrators have a history of criminal behavior and are closely connected with local law enforcement, making it difficult to pursue justice. “It’s been over a week, and we haven’t even been called to the police station to give our statement,” he added, calling out the blatant bias of the local police.

The small Christian community in the village, about 25 to 30 families, is economically disadvantaged and socially marginalized, making it nearly impossible for them to stand up to powerful Muslim landlords. Patras also lamented the indifference of Christian political and religious leaders, accusing them of chasing personal gains instead of defending their people.

Aslam Sahotra, Chairman of the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party, expressed solidarity with the George family and vowed to seek justice. “What Wasif endured wasn’t just physical abuse, it was an assault on his identity, dignity, and religious faith,” Sahotra said. He criticized both the villagers’ silence and the authorities’ inaction, urging senior police officials and the Punjab chief minister to intervene and ensure justice is served.

For Christians in Pakistan, life is fraught with fear, discrimination, and systemic injustice. Despite being citizens of the country, they are often treated as second-class and are disproportionately vulnerable to abuse, false accusations, and public humiliation, with little hope for legal recourse. Many live in extreme poverty, with limited access to education or employment opportunities, and they face both societal and institutional prejudice. Incidents like the attack on Wasif George are not isolated, they reflect a wider culture of impunity and a justice system skewed in favor of the powerful majority. The silence of authorities and lack of support from political and religious leaders further marginalize these communities, leaving them to live in constant fear for their safety, dignity, and basic human rights.