A Christian family in Pakistan is facing mounting pressure to withdraw gang rape charges against a group of individuals who abducted and assaulted their 17-year-old daughter for ten days.
Despite a police investigation, most of the suspects remain at large, the victim’s father, Taj Masih, told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
Masih, a 45-year-old Catholic laborer, reported that his daughter was abducted from their home in Chak No. 87 Fateh Colony on August 25.
“I was at work while my wife had gone to a dispensary to get her medication when our daughter went missing,” he said. “She immediately informed me, and we started searching for her.”
Masih said they eventually discovered that the girl had been kidnapped by five individuals from the same village: Muhammad Asif, Nazeer Ahmad, Muhammad Yasir, Muhammad Aslam, and a woman named Nazia Asif.
Initially, village elders attempted to mediate after the suspects admitted taking the girl. However, they failed to return her, prompting Masih to file a police complaint.
The police recovered the girl on September 5, and a medical examination confirmed she had been gang-raped and physically tortured.
“She told them that she had been gang-raped by Muhammad Yasir and Muhammad Saif,” Masih said, adding that while Saif has been arrested, the other suspects remain free.
Masih expressed frustration over the authorities’ lack of action. “I go to the police station every day hoping for justice but return home empty-handed,” he said.
The suspects, he added, are now threatening him in an effort to force him to drop the charges. “They are threatening me to drop the case or face the consequences, but I won’t back down,” he said.
“They wronged my beloved daughter, and I will do whatever is in my power to see that they get punished for their crime.”
Masih pointed to the challenges he faces due to his poverty and Christian faith. “There are about 25-30 Christian families in our locality, and a majority of us are laborers,” he said.
“We are often discriminated against due to our religion, but I was not expecting the police to treat this case with such an indifferent attitude. My daughter’s honor has been violated, and she’s been scarred for life, but it seems there’s no justice for poor Christians like us.”
Lazar Allah Rakha, the family’s attorney, emphasized the systemic barriers faced by Christians and other minorities in accessing justice in Pakistan.
“Her medical and DNA examination prove the allegations against the accused persons,” Rakha said. “The police have substantial evidence to effectively prosecute the accused, and we are hoping that the court will order the police to arrest the remaining accused as soon as possible.”
Rakha, a prominent Christian lawyer in South Punjab, noted that financial constraints further hinder justice for marginalized communities.
“It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that all citizens have instant and inexpensive access to justice regardless of their faith affiliations,” he said.
“The majority-versus-minority rhetoric has forced Christians and others to believe that they will not get the same treatment as Muslims. Therefore, it’s very important that the government should act to remove this impression,” he added.
Pakistan currently ranks seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.
