Christian Youth Brutally Tortured and Humiliated in Chak Jhumra:
LEAD Ministries Calls for Justice
Chak Jhumra, Pakistan – In a harrowing incident of religious intolerance, a young Christian man named Fiyaz Masih, also known as Wasif George, was subjected to brutal torture and public humiliation by Muslim landlords in Chak Jhumra, Faisalabad District, Punjab Province. The attack, which occurred on February 27, has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights advocates and Christian organizations, highlighting the ongoing persecution faced by religious minorities in Pakistan.
The Incident: A Brutal Act of Public Shaming
On the evening of February 27, Fiyaz Masih, a 34-year-old Christian laborer from an impoverished family, was gathering dead branches along a canal bank to use as firewood for cooking. He was accosted by at least seven Muslim men, including Junaid Javed, Tetar Ul Haq, Jahanzeb Javed, and Naeem Saleem. The assailants falsely accused him of stealing wood and dragged him to a poultry farm owned by Junaid Javed.
There, they subjected him to brutal torture. They beat him, shaved his head and eyebrows, blackened his face, and forced him to sit on a donkey. He was then paraded through the village as a form of public shaming. The attackers brandished guns, threatening villagers who might have attempted to intervene or record the incident.
A Community Paralyzed by Fear
Fiyaz’s brother, Wasif George, recounted the traumatic event, stating that the entire village witnessed the inhumane treatment but remained silent out of fear. “If he had indeed committed any wrong act, the landowners could have had him arrested and charged under the law,” Wasif George told Christian Daily International–Morning Star News. “But they instead used this as an opportunity to spread their fear in the village.”
The incident has left Fiyaz deeply traumatized. According to his family, he has since fallen into severe depression and has expressed suicidal thoughts. “The weight of public shame has broken the man inside him,” Wasif George said, adding that Fiyaz’s wife and family members are constantly by his side, fearing he may harm himself.
Police Inaction and Perpetrators’ Influence
Despite the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) by the police, the main perpetrators remain at large. Only the barber who shaved Fiyaz’s head and a brother of the poultry farm owner were briefly detained. The accused, who are influential landowners with ties to local law enforcement, have reportedly obtained pre-arrest bail and are pressuring the victim’s family to settle the matter out of court.
Wasif George expressed frustration over the police’s inaction, stating, “Though police have registered an FIR, it has been a week since the case was registered, and we haven’t once been called to the police station to record our statements.”
Calls for Justice from LEAD Ministries and Christian Leaders
Pastor Imran Amanat, leader of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, strongly condemned the attack and called for immediate justice. “This barbaric act against Fiyaz Masih is a stark example of the persecution that Christians in Pakistan continue to endure,” he said. “We urge the authorities to take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the protection of vulnerable Christian youth from such violent extremism.”
LEAD Ministries, an advocacy group dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians, has been at the forefront of efforts to highlight systemic discrimination and violence against religious minorities in Pakistan. The organization has called on both national and international communities to address these injustices and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Pakistan Masiha Millat Party Chairman Aslam Sahotra also expressed solidarity with the victim’s family. “The humiliation Fiyaz has suffered is more than just public shaming – it is the destruction of his Christian identity and the tearing down of his sense of self,” Sahotra said. He called on Punjab’s chief minister and senior police officials to take immediate action to ensure justice for the victim and his family.
Broader Context: Persecution of Christians in Pakistan
The case of Fiyaz Masih underscores the broader challenges faced by Pakistan’s Christian community, particularly in rural areas where religious intolerance and extremism are prevalent. Christians, who make up less than 2% of Pakistan’s population, often face discrimination, violence, and limited access to justice.
Pakistan ranks eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, reflecting the severe persecution faced by the community. This incident is not isolated but part of a broader pattern of discrimination and violence that has plagued Pakistan’s religious minorities for decades.
A Call for Systemic Change
The brutal attack on Fiyaz Masih serves as a chilling reminder of the urgent need for systemic change to protect religious minorities and uphold the principles of justice, equality, and human dignity in Pakistan. LEAD Ministries and other advocacy groups remain committed to fighting for the rights of persecuted Christians and ensuring that such acts of violence and humiliation do not go unpunished.
The international community is urged to support these efforts and hold Pakistan accountable for safeguarding the rights of all its citizens, regardless of their faith. As the investigation continues, the world watches to see whether the authorities will take meaningful action to deliver justice for Fiyaz Masih and his family.
