Christian Worker Attacked in Pakistan Over False Blasphemy Allegation and Pressure to Convert
March 28, 2025
Brutal Attack Highlights Plight of Religious Minorities in Pakistan. A young Christian laborer was nearly killed in a shocking act of religiously motivated violence, exposing the growing misuse of blasphemy accusations in the country.
Sheikhupura, March 21, 2025 – In a harrowing act of violence fueled by religious intolerance, 22-year-old Waqas Masih, a Christian worker at a paper mill in Sharaqpur, Punjab, was brutally attacked by a Muslim supervisor after allegedly refusing to convert to Islam and being falsely accused of blasphemy.
The assault occurred at Subhan Allah Paper Mills, where Waqas had been working for the past six months as a wastepaper contractor. His father, Riyasat Masih, who also works in the industry, said that his son was the only Christian employee at the factory and had been subjected to continuous religious harassment by his supervisor, Zohaib Iftikhar.
According to the family, the conflict escalated over weeks of coercion, during which Iftikhar repeatedly pressured Waqas to embrace Islam. On March 21, Zohaib reportedly summoned Waqas to a private room under false pretenses. When Waqas again declined to convert, Iftikhar pulled out a box cutter and slashed his throat, targeting his jugular vein.
Despite profuse bleeding, Waqas fought back and tried to stop the bleeding by tying his shirt around his neck. He later lost consciousness and was rushed to a local hospital by factory staff, who also restrained the attacker until police arrived. Waqas was transferred to Mayo Hospital in Lahore, where he underwent emergency surgery and remains under medical care. His condition is stable but critical.
In a written statement from his hospital bed, Waqas recounted that Iftikhar had falsely accused him of desecrating an Islamic studies textbook, claiming he had touched it with "unclean hands." The accusation — often weaponized in Pakistan to target religious minorities — was categorically denied by Waqas and his family.
Riyasat Masih said the attack was premeditated and rooted in his son's refusal to abandon his Christian faith. He added that just one day before the attack, Waqas and Zohaib had argued over a minor workplace task, indicating growing tension.
The police have registered an FIR against Zohaib, who remains in custody pending investigation. Advocacy groups, including HARDS Pakistan and CLAAS-UK, are assisting the family legally and demanding justice.
Father Lazar Aslam, a local Capuchin priest who visited Waqas in the hospital, called the incident a brutal reminder of the dangers religious minorities face in Pakistan. “The pattern of false accusations and religiously motivated violence must end. We call on authorities to act decisively and fairly.”
The misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws remains a grave concern for human rights organizations. The U.N. Human Rights Committee has urged Pakistan to amend its laws, citing their disproportionate use against religious minorities and the rise in mob violence based on false accusations.
Pakistan ranks 8th on the 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.
As Waqas continues to recover, his family and supporters are appealing to the public, civil society, and international human rights bodies to stand with them in demanding justice and long-overdue reforms to protect the rights and safety of Pakistan’s religious minorities.