Photo: Compass Direct |
Six Muslims in Khanewal district, southern Punjab province, used an axe to kill a Christian when he refused to convert to Islam. The six men had threatened to kill 36-year-old Rasheed Masih when they grew resentful of his potato business succeeding beyond their own. The rival merchants allegedly killed him after luring him to their farmhouse on March 9, leaving him on a roadside near Kothi Nand Singh village in the early hours of the next day. Rasheed was a devoted Christian, and both he and his brother Asi had refused the Muslims' pressure to convert to Islam. Police have registered a case against the six men and an investigation is underway, but the suspects remained at large at last report. (Source: Compass Direct)
Pray for Asi and others mourning the loss of Rasheed. Pray that those involved in his murder will be brought to justice. Pray that authorities will strive to provide safety for vulnerable Christians and other minorities in Pakistan.
To find out more about persecution in Pakistan, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.