Nearly two years after the brutal mob killing of 73-year-old Pakistani Christian Nazir (Lazar) Masih in Punjab province’s Sargodha district, his family says they are still waiting for justice and compensation for the destruction of their home and business.
Masih was attacked in 2024 after allegations surfaced that he had desecrated pages of the Quran. According to reports, announcements from a local mosque amplified the accusations, leading nearly 2,000 people to gather outside his residence and shoe factory in Sargodha. The mob allegedly vandalized and set fire to the factory before attacking the family.
While police managed to evacuate nine family members, Masih was reportedly trapped and brutally assaulted with stones, bricks, and sticks. He later succumbed to his injuries, sparking protests by Christian groups across Pakistan and drawing international attention to the issue of mob violence linked to blasphemy accusations.
Speaking ahead of his father’s death anniversary, Sultan Gill, son of Nazir Masih, said the family continues to live in fear after relocating to another city. “The cruelty cannot be described in words. The confidence is gone. We cannot move around or talk freely,” he said. Gill added that two of his children had to discontinue their studies and start working to support the displaced family.
Gill also alleged that despite repeated assurances from authorities, the family has not received the promised compensation of PKR 1.2 million for damage to their factory, which he said was worth much more. According to him, repeated appeals to district authorities and the Punjab minority affairs department have yielded no result.
Police had initially registered cases against around 450 unidentified suspects under anti-terrorism laws, and 25 people were arrested following the incident. However, rights activists claim most of the accused were released within weeks.
Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised over the lack of progress in another anti-Christian violence case in Jaranwala, Punjab, where churches and Christian homes were attacked in 2023 after allegations of Quran desecration. Church leaders have accused police of failing to implement Supreme Court orders directing the arrest of absconding suspects and speedy completion of trials.
Human rights groups continue to express concern over the safety of religious minorities in Pakistan and the recurring incidents of mob violence linked to blasphemy allegations.
