Two Muslims have been accused of torturing and murdering a young Christian labourer at their farm in Punjab, Pakistan, and of attempting to make his death look like suicide.
The body of Marqus Masih, who was in his late twenties, was found hanging from a girder in cattle shed at the farm near Sargodha on 3 March.
Marqus had been employed as a labourer at the farm owned by Muhammad Basharat and his son Muhammad Muhsin for four years.
Marqus Masih’s body bore signs of torture when discovered on 3 March [Image credit: HARDS]
Dilshad Masih, Marqus’ brother, received a telephone call from Muhammad Basharat informing him that Marqus had committed suicide.
However, Dilshad and other family members claimed that visible marks of physical torture were present on Marqus’ body. A postmortem examination confirmed that Marqus had already died before the hanging took place.
Murder investigation opened
Barnabas Aid partners, a legal firm that supports Pakistani Christians, have been providing legal assistance to the bereaved family.
The family informed our partners about the harsh conditions under which Marqus was forced to work. He was rarely allowed to visit his family, coming home only for one or two hours every five to six months.
Read more: What is it like to live as a Christian in Pakistan?
The partners, who will be representing the family as the case proceeds in court, added that the family’s poverty explained why Marqus had to endure these conditions.
Police were initially uncooperative when the family reported the crime, leading the family and other members of the Christian community and others, staged a protest at a prominent local road intersection to demand justice. The family claim the police’s initial reticence was because Muhammad Muhsin and his father were influential persons in the area.
Following several hours of protest, both Basharat and his son Muhammad Muhsin were arrested. A First Information Report was registered against Muhammad Muhsin on 4 March, allowing police to begin a murder investigation.
How you can pray
Pray that Marqus’ family (his widowed mother, Shahnaz Bibi, Dilshad, two other brothers and a sister) will be comforted as they grieve the loss of their beloved son and brother. Ask the Lord to guide our partners as they prepare and pursue the case. Pray for a just outcome and an end to the exploitation of vulnerable Christian labourers in Pakistan.
