Pakistan: Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries, has welcomed the recommendation made by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urging the United States Department of State to redesignate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to severe and ongoing violations of religious freedom.

Gill praised USCIRF for documenting the misuse of blasphemy laws, mob violence, and forced conversions affecting Christian and Hindu communities. However, he stressed that reports must also highlight the escalating violence, torture, killings, and forced conversions of boys alongside girls, which too often go underreported.

“While USCIRF’s recommendation for CPC redesignation is welcome, it is vital that the international community understands the brutal reality Christians face every day,” Gill said. “Reports must acknowledge torture, killings, forced conversions, and public humiliation, which continue to terrorize entire communities.”

Documented Violence and Killings

Gill highlighted several recent incidents demonstrating the severity of persecution against Christians:

Zahid Morris, a 36‑year‑old Catholic from Bahawalpur, was allegedly doused with petrol and set on fire by a Muslim neighbor following a minor dispute, suffering severe burns to his face and neck.

Waqas Masih, a 22‑year‑old Christian factory worker, was severely injured after a Muslim coworker allegedly slit his throat, accusing him of touching an Islamic textbook with “unclean hands.”

Marqas Masih, a Christian worker employed for four years by his Muslim landlord, was reportedly tortured, burned, and hanged from a girder in an apparent attempt to stage a suicide. Local authorities are accused of facilitating the release of his body before protests forced the arrest of the accused.

Maryam, an 11‑year‑old Christian girl in Gujranwala, was abducted and murdered by a neighbor. The brutal killing left her community shocked and grieving, underscoring the urgent need to protect children.

Naveed Masih, a Christian sanitary worker employed at the Punjab Assembly, was found fatally shot inside the Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Hostel, an incident that drew widespread condemnation from civil society, human‑rights organizations, and minority advocacy groups.

Imran Masih, a Christian laborer from Chak No. 93 RB, Chatti Jaranwala, was allegedly abducted and forced into bonded labor by a powerful brick kiln owner, leaving his wife and five young children appealing publicly for his release.

Forced Conversions of Boys and Girls

Gill stressed that underage Christian boys are also victims of forced religious conversions, alongside girls.

He cited the case of Jameel Masih, a 14‑year‑old from Sheikhupura District, who was reportedly forcibly converted to Islam and held in illegal custody by landlord Muhammad Boota Bajwa. Poverty compelled the family to send Jameel to work at the landlord’s cattle shed, and their attempts to retrieve him were met with threats and violence.

Gill also emphasized that Christian girls continue to face forced conversions and marriages, often at a young age. These cases highlight the urgent need for protective laws and their strict enforcement.

Blasphemy Laws and Collective Targeting of Christians

Gill further stressed that blasphemy laws continue to often target the Christian community as a whole, resulting in imprisonment, mob attacks, and the displacement of entire families.

“Christians continue to endure systemic discrimination, violence, and forced conversions,” Gill said. “The international community must urgently monitor these abuses and advocate for legal reforms to ensure justice, protection, and equal rights for all religious minorities.”

LEAD Ministries’ Mission

LEAD Ministries focuses on documenting cases of Christian persecution and raising awareness rather than providing financial assistance to victims. The organization collects verified reports of violence, torture, killings, and forced conversions at the grassroots level, highlighting these abuses to the international community, policymakers, and human‑rights advocates. Christians often face such persecution because of their faith and are mistreated by the majority community, frequently subjected to derogatory slurs such as “Chura” during these torture cases. LEAD Ministries’ goal is to ensure that religious minorities are recognized, their suffering is acknowledged, and systemic reforms are pursued to protect vulnerable communities.

LEAD Ministries is also a Christian faith‑based organization whose primary purpose is to protect and strengthen the Christian faith in Pakistan. The ministry carries out its mission through discipleship programs, church‑planting initiatives, pastoral care, women’s fellowships, and advocacy for religious freedom. By combining spiritual growth with community support and rights advocacy, LEAD Ministries seeks to empower Christians, uphold their faith, and ensure their voices are heard in the face of persecution.

Call for Global Action

Gill urged USCIRF and the international community to fully document and publicize these cases of killings, torture, and forced conversions. He emphasized that his recommendation to USCIRF is that accurate reporting is essential to push for legal reforms, protect vulnerable communities, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Gill called on governments, human‑rights organizations, and international legal bodies to stand with religious minorities and press for meaningful reforms that ensure justice and protection for all citizens, regardless of faith.