On March 16, more than sixty women had gathered in a church in Miskeen Musharaf Colony in Islamabad, Pakistan for prayer and fasting. According to a Pakistani source, more than 150 people attacked the women, grabbing them by the hair and torturing them as well as damaging the church property. The Pakistani news agency, Dawn, reports that the local Muslim Imam objected to the construction of the church building located about 100 metres from the mosque. The Imam reportedly led the attack on the women, along with his students. A representative from the All Pakistan Alliance, Abida Shaikh, told Dawn that the church had surveyed the neighbourhood before building. Of the seventy-five households, only eight were Muslim and none objected to the church building.
The church building was sealed by authorities following this incident. When the chairman of the All Pakistan Alliance for Katchi, Abadis Bashir Buttar, arrived to protest the incident, he was arrested by police, along with another Christian, Mian Qasim. They were released the next day on bail.
Pray for a continued ministry in this neighbourhood. Pray that those who oppose this church will see the Spirit of God working in the lives of the Christians.
For more information on the difficulties experienced by Christians in Pakistan, click here.
VOMC partners to train Christian women in sewing skills throughout Pakistan to provide a sustainable source of income for their families and encourage them in their faith and witness for Christ.
Religion (%) Islam (96.5), Other - Christian and Hindu (3.5)
Leader President Asif Ali Zardari (2024)
Government type Federal parliamentary republic
Legal system Common law system with Islamic law influence
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Pakistan
Pray that amendments will be made to Pakistan's existing blasphemy laws so that the country's citizens – including its children – will be protected from injustice and abuse. May our Lord's mercy and justice prevail, not only in the judiciary system but also in the hearts of the country's militants. Ask Him to transform their "hearts of stone" into hearts that are receptive to His love, mercy and the workings of His Holy Spirit – not only for the purpose of protecting the Christian minority but also for the salvation of their own eternal souls.
Marshall Masih, a Christian father of four, was gunned down by four men from his neighbourhood in the city of Lahore during the early hours of July 10th. Marshall (who was also known as Bunty) had previously filed a police complaint against two Muslim neighbours, named Shani and Azam, because they had been harassing Christian women in the area and shooting their guns into the air. In retaliation, the two men broke into Marshall's home with the help of two other local Muslims and shot the young father 15 times.
In a decision referred to as "a step forward" by Christian leaders, the National Assembly of Pakistan recently passed an amendment to an act governing Christian marriages, banning matrimony for Christians under the age of 18. After the law was enacted on July 10th, Naveed Amir Jeeva, a Christian member of the National Assembly, stated, "The legislation aims to protect young girls from early and forced marriages, ensuring their access to education and health."
In August 2023, the Christian colony of Jaranwala was filled with violence after allegations of blasphemy were made against two brothers. During the rampage, as many as 400 homes and 26 church buildings were damaged or destroyed. For more details, and to view video footage of the attacks, see this page.
In May, shocking images of mob violence were revealed after 74-year-old Nazir Masih was falsely accused of burning pages from the Quran. The elderly Christian man was fatally wounded during the resulting mob violence, which also led to the destruction of his shoemaking business, along with several attacks against other Christians. Further details on the violent rampage are available here.
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