05/25/2021 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – According to the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), a Christian man in Pakistan was kidnapped and murdered after reporting a crime to local police. More than 300 Christians held local demonstrations to get local police to register a murder case against those involved responsible.

On Sunday, May 23, 32-year-old Arif Masih was kidnapped and murdered in Tariqabad village, located in Pakistan’s Punjab Province.

“Two men from Gujjar community raided our house and forcefully took him on a motorcycle,” Rizwan Masih, Arif’s brother, reported to police. “About an hour later, they threw him in the market at our front door. He was semi-conscious, hospitalized and died the same night.”

According to UCAN, Arif was attacked because he reported an incident of harassment to local police.

“Last week the accused physically harassed our sister,” Rizwan said. “My brother had been receiving death threats since we reported the incident at the police station. He was being forced for a truce.”

“Arif Masih was murdered for demanding justice,” Akmal Bhatti, Chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, told UCAN. “The local village assembly scolded the Christian family for filing the case and threatened them with a social boycott for pursuing it.”

Local police initially registered Arif’s death as a suicide. However, 300 Christian protested the initial report and called on police to investigate the death as a murder. Following the three-hour protest, police finally recorded Arif’s death as a murder.

According to the Human Right Commission of Pakistan, marginalized communities, including religious minorities, often face bias when reporting crimes to police. In a recent report, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan stated:

“Vulnerable populations such as the poor, women, the mentally ill, religious, racial and ethnic minorities have less resources to use and fewer people willing to help them. In Pakistan, belonging to one or more of these marginalized groups put you at greater risk of police bias, wrongful arrest and conviction, spending life in prison or even capital punishment.”

While police have registered Arif’s death as a murder, those accused have already received pre-arrest bail. Many local Christians are concerned that those responsible for Arif’s murder will not be held accountable due to bias against Christians.

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: [email protected].