Pakistan Christian Women Killed; Four Others Convicted For Blasphemy (Worthy News Investigation)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – A prominent Christian human rights activist who fled his home in Pakistan after facing death for alleged blasphemy against Islam has expressed outrage about the killing of two Christian women and the conviction of four people on blasphemy charges over the weekend.
Sardar Mushtaq Gill, the founder of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, a religious rights group, told Worthy News that Mukhtara Bibi, who was about 60, was stabbed to death by three Muslims who were angry about her faith in Christ.
The January 8 killing in village Chak No 8R/11A in District Khanewal of Pakistan’s Punjab province was confirmed in a First Information Report (FIR), which is needed for police to launch an investigation.
The FIR, seen by Worthy News on Sunday, says the unmarried retired government worker was killed by three Muslims who Gill suggested were opposed to her faith in Christ.
Her killing came just two days after Christian women who had been returning home from work in Punjab’s city of Gujranwala were approached “and shot by two men on a motorcycle,” Gill and other Christians said.
During the attack, Shabana, 45, and her 18-year-old daughter Misbah were both struck by bullets, Gill told Worthy News.
The mother was instantly killed at the scene, while Misbah received a severe bullet wound to her back – requiring urgently needed hospitalization for treatment, according to Gill and other Christians familiar with the situation. Both were only identified by one name amid security challenges.
CRITICAL INJURIES
“Misbah sustained critical injuries and is currently fighting for her life in the hospital. The police have launched an investigation to determine the identity of the attackers and the motive behind the crime,” Gill told Worthy News.
“The case has been filed against two unknown assailants based on a complaint from Karamat Masih, Shabana’s husband. The mother and daughter, who were employed as domestic workers in Muslim households, were attacked on their way home,” he added.
Gill said LEAD Ministries “strongly condemned this tragic incident and called for swift justice for the family.”
Like in other attacks, Gill suggested they were killed due to their faith in Christ. The confirmation about the latest killing of Christians came while four others face the death penalty or prison terms for alleged blasphemy, Gill said.
“The trial, held before Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Tariq Ayub, led to the sentencing of Rana Usman, Ashfaq Ali, Salman Sajjad, and Wajid Ali, with punishments that included death sentences, lengthy prison terms, and hefty fines,” Gill said.
The convictions followed what authorities of the Islamic nation called “a comprehensive investigation” by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The agency said it traced the individuals’ involvement in sharing “offensive and blasphemous material” across multiple social media platforms.
“The case highlights the expanding role of the FIA’s Cybercrime Wing in policing online activity, as well as the increasingly severe consequences of violating the nation’s controversial blasphemy laws through digital channels,” Gill warned.
BLASPHEMY LEGISLATION
The four, who Gill said had no Christian background, were “found guilty of engaging in activities that violated the country’s blasphemy statutes,” which carry some of the most severe penalties under Pakistani law.
“The prosecution’s success in this case signals a growing trend of online monitoring and legal enforcement, with increasing attention being placed on social media platforms where sensitive content is easily disseminated,” Gill stressed.
The case also raises broader domestic and international concerns about the alleged misuse of such laws in Pakistan.
Gill recalled that in 2016, he was “wrongfully targeted by extremist individuals who created a fake Facebook [website] profile under the name Martha Bibi and posted blasphemous material,” placing him and his family “in harm’s way.”
Yet the recent convictions in Rawalpindi highlighted “the growing trend of exploiting online platforms to accuse, harass, and persecute individuals, often with little regard for due process or truth.”
The convictions in Punjab’s city of Rawalpindi “serve as a stark reminder of the risks posed by social media misuse, particularly in a country where accusations of blasphemy can lead to violent retribution and long-term legal battles,” Gill noticed.
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