Pakistan: CLAAS-UK raises serious child-protection concerns and calls for Sagar Masih to be safely returned to his family

CLAAS-UK has expressed serious concern over the case of 15-year-old Christian boy Sagar Masih, whose family alleges that he was pressured and influenced to convert to Islam while working at a factory in Sheikhupura, Punjab.

Sagar comes from a poor Christian family and had been working to help support his household. According to his parents, people at his workplace allegedly encouraged him to abandon Christianity, perform Islamic prayers and embrace Islam, while various incentives were also offered to him.

The family says Sagar’s official and family records identify him as Sagar Masih, but they subsequently discovered that his name had reportedly been recorded at the factory as “Sagar Muhammad.”

His father, Babar, said: “We only want our child. We want our son returned to us and kept safe. We do not want anything else.”

The family says they searched for Sagar for several days before discovering footage showing him accompanied by religious clerics and other individuals. They subsequently approached the police seeking his recovery and answers about the circumstances surrounding his alleged conversion.

Sagar’s mother has described the anguish of pleading with her son to return home. She said she had worked long hours to support him, cared for him through illness and struggled throughout his childhood to provide for him.

The family has also raised concerns about the police response. Sagar’s father alleges that they received conflicting information about when and how their son could be returned and that, when Sagar expressed a desire to leave, he was not permitted to go with his family. They were eventually told that the matter would have to be decided by the court.

Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, said “We are deeply concerned for Sagar’s safety and welfare. He is only 15 years old and must first and foremost be treated as a child in need of protection.

“Freedom of religion is a fundamental right, but religious freedom must genuinely be free. There can be no place for coercion, threats, inducements or exploitation of a child’s poverty and vulnerability.

“We are particularly concerned about the growing number of cases involving underage Christian boys allegedly being converted to Islam. The issue of forced conversion is often associated with Christian girls, but boys can also be extremely vulnerable, particularly when poverty forces them into employment at a young age and places them under the influence of adults outside their families.”

Saeed stressed that Sagar’s case should not be turned into a confrontation between religious communities.

“This is not about creating conflict between Christians and Muslims. This is about a 15-year-old child, his distressed parents and the responsibility of the state to protect a minor.

“The authorities must establish exactly what happened, verify Sagar’s age through official records and investigate whether any pressure, inducement or undue influence was involved. Any statement from Sagar must be obtained in a safe and neutral environment, with proper safeguards for his age and without pressure from any interested party.”

Saeed also called on the court to give primary consideration to Sagar’s status as a minor.

“In my view, a purported religious conversion involving a 15-year-old child, particularly when the circumstances are disputed by his parents, should not be used as a basis for separating him from his family.

“The court must put Sagar’s age, safety and best interests first. If he is a minor, he should be returned to his parents unless a competent court determines that returning him would place him at risk. His alleged conversion should not, in itself, be a reason for keeping a child away from his family.”

CLAAS-UK has called for an independent and transparent investigation, verification of Sagar’s age and the circumstances of the alleged conversion, appropriate protection for the teenager, and a judicial process that places the welfare and best interests of the child at its centre.

For Sagar’s parents, however, their appeal remains simple.

His father said: “We do not want anything else. We only want our son back.”