A 28-year-old Christian labourer, Asif Masih, died in hospital on 5 May after allegedly being brutally tortured by a group of men associated with a local Muslim landlord in a village of Punjab.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by his employer, Mushtaq Ahmad, Asif had been working on the farm for the past year. In the early morning hours of 30 April, while returning home from work with his colleague, Irfan Dogar, the two men were reportedly stopped on their way by a group of men.
The suspects, identified in the FIR as Imran, Naseer, Gharib Alam, Allah Yar, Sufiyan, and two unidentified individuals, allegedly accused Asif of deliberately allowing livestock to enter their fields. According to the complaint, Imran ordered the group to seize Asif, while Irfan, who attempted to intervene, was threatened with death.
Witnesses said that Asif was severely beaten by the group. Although several villagers working nearby gathered at the scene, none intervened due to fear of reprisal. Asif was later taken to the local hospital in critical condition, where he remained under treatment until he succumbed to his injuries on 5 May.
Police have registered a case under sections 302 (murder), 147 (rioting), and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code. A spokesperson for Sheikhupura police confirmed that investigations are ongoing and assured the public that all individuals found responsible would be brought to justice. No arrests had been confirmed at the time of this release.
Asif Masih was laid to rest on 6 May in the local Christian cemetery. His funeral was attended by a large number of local residents, community leaders, and rights activists, who condemned the killing and called for swift justice.
Speaking to media at the funeral, Asif’s elder sister, Farah Bibi, tearfully described her brother as a peaceful and hardworking man. “He never fought with anyone. He was innocent. We want justice—nothing less,” she said.
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