Manawala, Punjab: (By Sardar Mushtaq Gill) A disturbing new case of Christian persecution has surfaced in Pakistan, with reports indicating that Asif Masih, a hardworking Christian farmer, was kidnapped and held hostage by a Muslim landlord in the village of Tarku, near the city of Manawala, Punjab. This incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by Christians, particularly farmers and brick-kiln bonded laborers, in the region.

Asif Masih, about 50 years old and the son of John Masih, had been cultivating land under a contract with Muhammad Ilyas, a local Muslim landlord. The agreement stipulated a payment of 40,000 Pakistani rupees per acre after the harvest of sugar cane. However, Ilyas soon began extorting Masih, demanding an inflated 100,000 rupees per acre and threatening to seize his cow and crops.

The situation escalated when Ilyas forcibly took one of Masih’s cows and informed him that the sugar cane crop now belonged to him. Ilyas then began blackmailing Masih and threatened to kill him if he did not comply with his demands for money. Fearing for his life, Masih was kidnapped by Ilyas, who placed him in a car, drove him to a nearby canal, and continued his threats, forbidding Masih from contacting his family.

The brutality did not end there. Ilyas later tied Masih to an iron chain and held him captive in a cottage. The shocking treatment of Masih is a stark reminder of the discrimination and exploitation that many Christian farmers and brick-kiln bonded laborers face in Pakistan, particularly those who work the lands of Muslim landlords.

In Pakistan, the majority of Christians do not own agricultural land, and when they do manage to rent land from Muslim landlords, their success often triggers resentment and persecution. Landlords, driven by jealousy or a sense of entitlement, have been known to harass Christian farmers, exploiting their vulnerability as religious minorities.

Pastor Imran Amanat, a prominent leader of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, condemned the recent case of persecution and expressed his sorrow that Pakistani authorities have failed to take such incidents seriously. He highlighted the deep-rooted issue of Christian persecution in Pakistan, stating that individuals like Asif Masih continue to suffer due to their Christian faith and the lack of proper legal protection.

The year 2025 began with the tragic death of another Christian farmer, Suleman Masih, a 24-year-old man who had found success in agriculture. Suleman was brutally attacked on December 29, 2024, in Kot Saadullah, Rahawali, Gujranwala, and succumbed to his injuries on January 1, 2025. His death has shocked the local Christian community and brought attention to the persistent violence and intimidation faced by Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

Sardar Mushtaq Gill, the founder of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, has called on the global Christian community to stand in solidarity with the Pakistani Christian community, which faces daily persecution. He urged international voices to advocate for greater protection for religious minorities in Pakistan and to address the ongoing issue of Islamic oppression that harms Christians and other religious minority groups in the country.

The situation in Pakistan continues to be dire for religious minorities, particularly Christians, who often suffer under the weight of systemic discrimination, exploitation, and violence. Despite international calls for justice and reform, the persecution of Christians in Pakistan remains an urgent and unresolved issue, with little action taken by the authorities to address the root causes of such human rights abuses.