Christians In Pakistan Alarmed By Custodial Death, Child Marriage Ruling

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Christians in Pakistan expressed concern about their safety Friday after a believer reportedly died in police custody while the nation’s recently created Federal Constitutional Court approved the marriage between a Muslim man and an underaged Christian girl.

Advocacy group LEAD Ministries, which followed both cases, said a Christian man, Iftikhar Masih, a married father of four from Kahna, a suburban area of the eastern city of Lahore, “has died under highly controversial circumstances.”

In remarks shared with Worthy News, his brother Asif Masih said “Iftikhar, who worked as a gardener at Lahore University, was detained by police in the Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Area while collecting seeds for planting.”

The family alleges that the officers demanded 200,000 Pakistani rupees (about $700) for his release, a high amount for impoverished Christian families. When the payment was not made, he was “subjected to brutal torture that ultimately took his life,” said the family and LEAD Ministries.

CUSTODIAL DEATH SPARKS OUTRAGE

Police initially described his death as a “suicide,” but after mounting public pressure reportedly launched a criminal investigation against the officers, Christian sources said. It was not immediately clear Friday whether the two officers had been detained.

In a separate case, the Federal Constitutional Court upheld the marriage of an underage Christian girl, identified by Worthy News only as Maria, after accepting that she had converted to Islam prior to the union.

Some Christians described the decision as “a new sword on our heads.” Christian leaders and rights advocates warned it could legitimize forced conversions and child marriages involving minority girls.

The court also ruled that Muslim men may marry Christian and Jewish women, as they are considered “People of the Book” under Islamic law.

BROADER FEARS AMONG CHRISTIANS

Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries, said such rulings “encourage Muslim men to target even more Christian girls.”

Estimates from advocacy groups suggest that hundreds to as many as 1,000 Christian and Hindu girls are already forced into marriages each year in Pakistan, though exact figures remain difficult to verify.

Gill also rejected the court’s terminology referring to minorities, stating, “We are not ‘People of the Book’. We are only Christians.”

He urged the court to clarify that marriages with “People of the Book” do not necessarily mandate conversion to Islam, warning that the current formulation could mean “coerced conversions” under the guise of Islamic law.

THREATS TO DAUGHTERS

“Genuine interfaith marriages do not require conversions,” Gill told Worthy News.

He said the court’s moves added to “deep fear and frustration within the Christian community over legal interpretations perceived as threatening both their daughters and their religious identity.”

Gill accused the court of seeking an “imposition of Islamic law on minorities who do not accept it.”

Christian leaders say the cases together underscore “broader fears” about safety and equal protection under the law.

CALL FOR MORE PROTECTION

Pastor Imran Amanat of LEAD Ministries called for “accountability and protection for Christians, even from state institutions,” while Gill warned the developments reflect “systemic injustice” faced by minorities.

Christians make up roughly 1.5 to 2 percent of Pakistan’s population of about 250 million people, or several million believers, and are among the country’s most economically and socially marginalized communities, according to researchers.

Pakistan ranks among the most difficult nations for Christians, placing No. 8 on the annual Open Doors World Watch List, which tracks persecution, citing forced conversions, discrimination, blasphemy laws, and violence against minorities.

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.