Vihari District, Pakistan: A deeply troubling case has emerged under Police Station Daniwal, where a poor Christian family has become the target of financial exploitation, threats, and violence at the hands of a known illegal moneylender. 

Faraz Masih borrowed a total of PKR 30,000 in three installments from a Muslim lender, Sono Shah, to pay for his mother’s medical treatment. Despite repaying nearly PKR 200,000 in interest, the lender is now demanding an additional PKR 500,000. When the family couldn't meet the demand, they were subjected to severe abuse and coercion. 

According to the family, Sono Shah and his accomplices physically assaulted Faraz Masih’s wife, tore her clothes, and forcibly took a blank copy of their bank cheque book. Instead of intervening to protect the victims, local police allegedly supported the lender. In a retaliatory move, they arrested the family’s minor son in a fabricated counter-case to pressure them into a compromise. 

Now fearing for their safety, the family has gone into hiding at another Christian’s home. They live under constant threat, while authorities remain silent. Their appeal to the government for protection and justice has so far gone unanswered. 

This is not an isolated case. Across Pakistan, Christian families are being systematically targeted by illegal lenders who prey on the poor. Loans are offered under desperate conditions, only to be enforced with exorbitant interest rates and threats of blasphemy, drug possession, or sexual assault — false charges that can destroy lives in Pakistan’s sensitive legal and religious climate. 

This exploitation reflects modern-day slavery, akin to the bonded labor system in brick kilns, where families are trapped in endless cycles of debt. For Christians, this is worsened by deep-rooted religious discrimination and lack of institutional support. 

LEAD Ministries, founded by Sardar Mushtaq Gill, a Christian lawyer and human rights activist, has been working to expose and fight these abuses. Gill has long warned of growing financial coercion and the misuse of law enforcement to suppress minorities. 

Pastor Imran Amanat, the current leader of LEAD Ministries, says: 

“LEAD is actively advocating and documenting grave concerns of human rights violations in which Christians are targeted.” 

He calls for urgent government intervention to protect affected families and prosecute those responsible — including complicit police officers. 

The case of Faraz Masih is a painful reminder of the urgent need for legal reform, minority protection, and accountability. Without action, many more families remain at risk of falling victim to similar exploitation. 

#JusticeForFarazMasih #StopReligiousPersecution #HumanRights #LEADMinistries #SardarMushtaqGill #PastorImranAmanat #MinorityRights #PakistanChristians #EndPredatoryLending