CV NEWS FEED // A 72-year-old Pakistani Christian who was assaulted by an anti-Christian mob on May 25 died from his injuries on June 3.
AP News reported that the mob attacked Nazir Masih and his family in the city of Sargodha over allegations that they desecrated pages of the Quran. In addition to dealing Masih severe head injuries, the mob set his home and business on fire.
His family was able to escape, but Masih was taken to the hospital in critical condition. According to AP News, Masih underwent two surgeries but died in the hospital nonetheless.
AsiaNews reported that controversy has arisen surrounding the June 3 announcement of Masih’s death, as some sources maintain that he died on May 25 after the attack, but was kept “artificially alive with a ventilator on instructions of the government to avoid international blame.”
AP News added that police have arrested over 100 Muslim men and charged them under anti-terrorism laws, but have registered cases against 500 people. According to AsiaNews, however, 45 people have been identified among those responsible for Masih’s death, with Christians calling for them to be severely punished by the government.
AsiaNews called Masih’s death just one more example of Islamic violence towards Christians that has been rising since the August 2023 attack that destroyed dozens of churches and hundreds of Christian homes.
According to Open Doors, Pakistan ranks seventh on the list of most dangerous places to be a Christian.
“Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws are often used to target minority groups, but Christians are disproportionately affected,” Open Doors’ website states. “Indeed, roughly a quarter of all blasphemy accusations target Christians, who only make up 1.8% of the population.”
Ata-Ur-Rehman Saman, a human rights activist and coordinator of the National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, told AsiaNews that Masih’s death reminded him of one of Pakistan’s earliest leaders.
“This morning, when news came of the death of Nazir Masih, a victim of mob violence on 25 May who died of his injuries, I was reminded of Jogindar Nath Mandal, the first Law minister and one of the leaders who created Pakistan,” he said, adding that Mandal later resigned in October 1950, “after incidents of killings and forced conversion of Hindus.”
Saman continued:
The circumstances are the same today. The administration and the state are not inclined to address the issue. This attitude is [a] continuation of the behaviour of Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan. Jongindar Nath Mandal was fortunate enough to have the option of leaving Pakistan to live [the] rest of his life. We don’t have the option of living, but to die for the rest of our lives.
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