A 21-year-old Christian farmworker in Pakistan was tortured to death on Wednesday (March 4) by his Muslim employers, who then staged his killing as suicide by hanging, the victim’s brother said.
Dilshad Masih of Chak No. 50 Shumali in Sargodha District, Punjab Province, said that his younger brother, Marcus Masih, had worked for five years at a cattle farm owned by Muhammad Mohsin Kharal and Muhammad Basharat Kharal in Chak No. 36 Janoobi, in the same district.
Basharat called Dilshad Masih at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday (March 4) and said his brother had committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of a cattle shed, Masih said.
“Two relatives and I immediately went to their village, where we saw Marcus’s body hanging from the ceiling,” Masih told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “They told us they had no idea why he would take his own life.”
Masih said they became suspicious after hospital staff released the body following a post-mortem examination. He said lawyers related to the Muslim employers pressured the Christian family to place their thumbprints on a blank sheet of paper, saying it was required to send the body for autopsy.
“We were in deep shock and grief and did not question them,” he said. “But when the body was returned to us, we saw severe bruises and burn marks. That is when we realized Marcus had been tortured.”
Marcus had never complained of mistreatment, though his brother said they were aware that the employers had a contentious reputation in the area.
“I had asked him many times to leave that job and work with me at a private housing society where I have a cleaning contract,” Masih said. “But he chose to stay.”
Following the incident, dozens of Christians staged a protest by placing the corpse on the main highway and blocking traffic, demanding registration of a criminal case. Police subsequently registered a First Information Report (FIR), Masih said.
“The police have assured us they will arrest the accused,” he said. “But influential people often evade accountability. We are poor Christians. We can only hope for justice.”
Asher Adeel, a Sargodha-based human rights advocate, condemned the killing and called for an impartial investigation.
“The visible injuries suggest severe torture,” Adeel said. “If the allegations are true, the accused not only killed him but attempted to disguise the crime as suicide and coerced the family into signing blank papers. Authorities must ensure that no one is above the law.”
At this writing no arrests had been confirmed in Marcus Masih’s case.
Dilshad Masih said the family is seeking legal assistance and have appealed to provincial authorities to ensure a transparent investigation.
“We just want the truth,” he said. “My brother deserves justice.”
Christian rights groups say the case reflects broader vulnerabilities faced by religious minorities in rural Pakistan, where impoverished Christians often work in low-paid, informal sectors under influential landowners.
In recent years, several high-profile cases have underscored these concerns.
In May, Christian laborer Kashif Masih was tortured to death by a group of Muslims, including a former police officer, over an unproven theft allegation. The killing sparked outrage among minority rights groups, who criticized authorities for failing to prevent or promptly prosecute such crimes.
Similarly, in March 2025, Christian factory worker Waqas Masih was severely injured after a Muslim coworker slit his throat over accusations of blasphemy. The attacker claimed that Masih had touched an Islamic textbook “with unclean hands,” an allegation that rights activists said reflected the misuse of religious sensitivities to justify violence.
In February 2025, Christian laborer Wasif George was abducted by Muslim landowners, humiliated and paraded on a donkey after being accused of stealing wood. Images and videos of the assault circulated widely on social media, prompting condemnation but limited legal accountability.
On June 6, 2024, 18-year-old Catholic worker Waqas Salamat died after being tortured by his Muslim employer and others for allegedly leaving his job without permission. His family said he was subjected to hours of electric shocks, resulting in fatal injuries.
International watchdogs continue to rank Pakistan among the most difficult countries for Christians. The country again ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, which assesses persecution faced by Christians worldwide. The report cited systemic discrimination, mob violence, forced conversions, bonded labor, and gender-based abuses, noting that perpetrators often act with impunity due to weak law enforcement and social pressures.
