“Talk to Our Pastors”: A Christian Woman’s Flight From Fear Exposes the Vulnerability of Pakistan’s Brick-Kiln Families

A woman’s testimony from Kasur describes alleged violence, religious abuse and intimidation—and reveals why the Church remains a critical refuge for vulnerable Christians

KASUR, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN — In the quiet, impoverished communities surrounding Pakistan’s brick kilns, hardship is often measured not only in wages and debt, but in the choices families have left when fear enters their lives.

 For one Christian woman in Kasur, that choice became painfully personal.

 In a video testimony concerning the family of Christian brick-kiln worker Lazar Masih, the woman describes what she says was a period of violence, intimidation and humiliation that eventually forced her to flee. Her account portrays a family struggling at the intersection of poverty, alleged bonded labor and religious vulnerability.

But one moment in her testimony stands out above the rest.

As the family allegedly faced violence and threats, she says she told the brick-kiln owners that she wanted to speak with her pastors.

Her appeal was simple.

She wanted help from the Church.

 According to her testimony, the response was not reassurance but intimidation. She says the brickkiln owners told the family that the police, the courts and even the media could do nothing against them.

She further alleges that they used religiously hatred language against the family, including the word “Chura,” a pejorative term historically used against Christians in Pakistan by Extremists Muslims.

She says the family was told that they were “nothing” and that their pastors were “nothing.”

 For a woman already describing herself as frightened and vulnerable, the alleged message was unmistakable: the people she says held power believed that nobody could challenge them.

  A Cry for Help

 The woman’s testimony gives the case a deeply personal dimension.

 Lazar Masih has separately alleged that he was physically abused, threatened and subjected to severe pressure while working at a brick kiln in Kasur District. His account includes allegations of torture, intimidation and economic exploitation, while the family's testimony says that the suffering extended to his wife, children and elderly mother.

The family has also described circumstances consistent with what Christian advocates identify as the dangers associated with bonded labor: poverty, low wages, deductions and economic dependence that can make it extraordinarily difficult for workers to leave.

 For Lazar’s wife, however, the crisis was not merely about employment.

 It was about survival.

 She says she witnessed the suffering of her family and eventually fled.

Her testimony captures the predicament of countless vulnerable people who may technically possess legal rights but lack the economic resources, social influence or physical security necessary to exercise them.

When Fear Becomes a Barrier to Justice

The allegation that the family was told that police, courts and the media could do nothing is among the most serious elements of the testimony.

If established, such threats would go beyond workplace intimidation. They would suggest an attempt to convince vulnerable workers that the institutions designed to protect them were powerless.

For someone living in poverty, that perception can be enough to prevent a complaint from ever being made.

A worker who fears losing employment may hesitate to approach authorities.

A family with no savings may fear homelessness.

A woman facing threats may fear retaliation.

And a Christian minority family already conscious of its vulnerable position may feel even less capable of challenging those with greater economic or social power.

This is why the wife’s decision to speak publicly carries significance.

She did not remain completely silent.

She told her story.

 The Meaning of “Chura”

The alleged use of the word “Chura” adds a religious dimension to the family’s account.

The term has historically been used as a religious hatred against Christians in Pakistan. Its significance is therefore greater than an ordinary insult. For Christians who have experienced discrimination, the word can carry the weight of generations of social and religious humiliation.

In this case, the woman says the term was used during a confrontation in which she was attempting to seek help from her pastors. If her account is accurately reflected in the video, the alleged language would suggest that religious identity was being invoked as an instrument of humiliation and intimidation.

That allegation requires investigation.

It is also important to distinguish between the alleged actions of particular individuals and Pakistan’s Muslim population as a whole. The issue is not the faith of every Muslim citizen, but the reported conduct of the extremists whom the family identifies as responsible for the alleged abuse.

 A Christian Family at the Edge

The Masih family’s circumstances illustrate how economic vulnerability can magnify the risks faced by religious minorities.

Pakistan’s Christian community is a small minority within a predominantly Muslim country. Many Christian families live in difficult economic circumstances, and some communities remain concentrated in low-income occupations where access to education and alternative employment is limited.

Brick-kiln work is among the sectors in which poor families can become heavily dependent upon employers.

When debt, advances, low wages and deductions become intertwined, workers can find themselves trapped in an economic cycle that is difficult to escape.

For families with children to feed, walking away from an employer can seem impossible—even when the workplace has become unbearable.

The result can be a devastating contradiction:

A person may be legally free but practically unable to leave.

When the Church Becomes the Last Door

Against this backdrop, the woman's words about her pastors become particularly significant.

She did not first speak of wealth.

She did not ask for political power.

She asked to speak with her pastors.

For a vulnerable Christian family, the pastor can be one of the few trusted figures who is accessible, familiar and willing to listen.

The Church can become the first place where a victim feels safe enough to speak.

It can offer pastoral care to traumatized families, connect people with legal and humanitarian services, assist children with education and help vulnerable workers find legitimate alternatives to exploitative employment.

That role does not make the Church a substitute for the state.

Police must investigate allegations of criminal conduct.

Courts must determine guilt.

Labor authorities must enforce labor protections.

Government institutions must protect citizens regardless of religion.

But when a frightened woman says, “I want to speak with my pastors,” it is a reminder that institutions alone do not provide emotional and spiritual refuge.

People also need somewhere they trust.

The Church’s Responsibility

For Pakistan’s Christian community, the case raises a question that extends far beyond one brick kiln:

What happens when a Christian family believes it has nowhere else to turn?

The answer cannot be silence.

Churches must be prepared to receive vulnerable families, document allegations responsibly, connect them with competent legal assistance and work with credible humanitarian organizations who commit to protect faith and families.

Christian leaders must also ensure that compassion does not become a substitute for justice.

The purpose of intervention should be to help families reach safety, obtain lawful assistance and regain the ability to support themselves with dignity.

That means more than emergency food or temporary shelter.

It means education.

It means vocational training.

It means legal awareness.

It means sustainable employment.

It means helping families escape cycles of debt and dependence.

And it means ensuring that children are not condemned to inherit the same economic vulnerability as their parents.

A Broader Story of Christian Suffering

The Masih family’s allegations emerge within a wider environment in which Pakistan’s Christians have faced discrimination, social exclusion, accusations under blasphemy laws, mob violence and economic vulnerability.

Not every hardship experienced by a Christian is necessarily religious persecution, and individual allegations must be established through evidence.

But the cumulative reality of discrimination and vulnerability means that cases involving alleged religious insults, threats or violence against Christians deserve careful scrutiny.

For Christian families living at the margins, religious identity can intersect with poverty in ways that make vulnerability particularly acute.

The woman from Kasur is therefore telling more than a personal story.

She is describing what it feels like when economic dependence, fear and religious identity collide.

From Escape to a Future

Fleeing an alleged abusive environment may save a family from immediate danger, but escape alone does not guarantee freedom.

A family that leaves a brick kiln still needs food.

It needs shelter.

Children need education.

Parents need lawful employment.

The family needs access to justice.

And, perhaps most importantly, it needs protection from retaliation.

This is why LEAD Ministries have emphasized long-term solutions alongside immediate intervention.

Vocational training, education, entrepreneurship, legal assistance and lawful employment can help vulnerable families move from dependency toward independence.

For a family that has spent years struggling under poverty, the greatest form of assistance may ultimately be the opportunity to build a life in which survival no longer depends upon an abusive or exploitative relationship.

A Voice That Refused to Disappear

The woman’s testimony is powerful precisely because it is personal.

She describes fear.

She describes humiliation.

She describes an alleged warning that authorities could do nothing.

She describes religiously derogatory language.

And she describes turning toward her pastors.

Then she fled.

But she did not disappear.

Her testimony has become a public appeal for justice and protection.

A woman believed she was unsafe, and she believed the Church might be the place where someone would listen.

That places a profound responsibility on Christian leaders.

The Church must not become a refuge only in words.

It must be a refuge in practice.

When a persecuted Christian comes through its doors, there must be someone willing to listen.

When a family is frightened, there must be someone willing to stand beside them.

When children are trapped in poverty, there must be someone willing to help them imagine a different future.

And when allegations of injustice arise, there must be Christians willing to pursue truth without hatred and justice without vengeance.

“We Are Not Alone”

The story of Lazar Masih’s wife is ultimately a story of a woman who says she was pushed to the point of flight but refused to surrender her hope.

She sought her pastors.

She sought protection.

She sought a voice that could speak when she felt powerless.

Her testimony is a reminder to the global Christian community that persecuted and economically vulnerable believers in Pakistan need more than sympathy from afar.

They need solidarity.

They need responsible advocacy.

They need practical assistance.

They need access to justice and protection.

And they need churches willing to stand beside them.

For a woman who says she fled from fear, the most important message the Christian community can offer is not revenge against those she accuses.

It is something far more powerful:

You are heard.

You are valued.

You have dignity.

You are not forgotten.

And you are not alone.

In the darkness of an alleged cycle of abuse and intimidation, those words can become the beginning of hope.

And for this Christian woman from Kasur, hope began with a simple request:

“Let me speak to my pastors.”

Christian Family Targeted in Rawalpindi as Daughter Is Allegedly Murdered and Son Abducted

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — A Christian family in Rawalpindi is living in fear after their young daughter, Saba, was allegedly shot dead and her brother abducted in a violent attack that the family says was carried out by a locally influential Muslim man.

The incident reportedly occurred within the jurisdiction of Ratta Amral Police Station, raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of Christian families in Pakistan and their ability to seek protection and justice when facing threats from powerful individuals from the majority community.

According to the victim’s family, the alleged attacker, identified as Muhammad Adnan Butt, entered their home and attempted to abduct Saba. The family describes Butt as an influential local figure whom they fear because of his alleged reputation for intimidation.

Daughter Allegedly Killed While Resisting

Family members allege that Saba resisted the attempt to take her away. They say she was dragged by her hair into the street and subjected to severe physical violence and verbal abuse.

According to the family’s account, when Saba continued to resist, she was allegedly shot in the forehead. She died at the scene.

The family further alleges that the attacker then abducted Saba’s brother and fled the area.

Before leaving, the alleged perpetrator reportedly threatened the remaining members of the family, warning them against approaching the police or filing a complaint. According to relatives, they were told that their abducted son would be killed if they sought official help.

Family Reportedly Flees in Fear

Following the alleged killing, the family reportedly became so frightened that they removed Saba’s body from the area and attempted to bury her secretly at an undisclosed location.

Police later reportedly arrived at the scene and began an initial investigation. However, relatives say they continue to fear for their lives and remain deeply concerned about the safety of Saba’s abducted brother.

The family’s decision to remain in hiding underscores the fear surrounding the case. With the whereabouts of their son reportedly unknown, relatives are appealing for urgent intervention to secure his safe recovery.

Christian Community Raises Concerns

The case has caused concern among members of the local Christian community, who are calling for immediate protection for the surviving family members and accountability for anyone responsible for the alleged crimes.

Christians in Pakistan have long faced concerns over violence, discrimination, forced conversions, abductions, forced and bonded labor, and the misuse of blasphemy laws against religious minorities. Pastor Imran Amanat, head of LEAD Ministries, has called on authorities to strengthen protections for vulnerable communities and ensure that perpetrators of violence are held accountable regardless of their social, religious, or political influence.

“For Christian families who already face insecurity in parts of the country, allegations of intimidation and violence can create additional barriers to reporting persecution and pursuing justice,” Imran said.

Calls for Government Intervention

Community members, rights activists, and LEAD Ministries are urging senior police and government officials to intervene immediately. Their demands include the safe recovery of Saba’s brother, protection for the surviving family members, a transparent investigation, and the arrest and prosecution of anyone found responsible.

They are also calling on authorities to ensure that the family’s religious identity does not prevent them from receiving equal protection under the law.

For the grieving family, the immediate concern remains the fate of their missing son. As they mourn Saba and remain under threat, they are appealing to authorities to act swiftly before further harm occurs.

The case highlights the urgent need for effective protection of religious minorities in Pakistan and for credible investigations whenever allegations of violence, abduction, or intimidation are made.

LEAD Ministries’ Advocacy for Justice

Under the leadership of Pastor Imran Amanat, LEAD Ministries continues to advocate for persecuted Christians and vulnerable communities in Pakistan through human-rights documentation, legal advocacy, and public awareness.

In the Rawalpindi case, the organization is calling for the protection of the affected family, the safe recovery of the abducted son, and accountability for those responsible.

LEAD Ministries does not provide financial assistance for individual cases. Its mission focuses on justice, religious freedom, minority protection, and raising awareness of persecution and human-rights violations.

Christian Family of Nine Appeals for Lasting Freedom After 11 Years of Alleged Bonded Labor, Abuse and Threats at Lahore Brick Kiln

Lahore, Pakistan — September 2, 2026: Pastor Imran Amanat, Head of LEAD Ministries, received a video interview via WhatsApp from a local Christian journalist featuring a Christian family of nine who tearfully recount approximately 11 years of alleged bonded and forced labor, physical abuse, inadequate wages, serious illness and continuing threats while working at a brick kiln in Lahore.

The family comprises three brothers — Babar Masih, Saleem Masih and Amir Masih — along with other family members. They say they worked for approximately 11 years at the same brick kiln, located at Feroz Pur Road, Wadana Stop, Ladhe Ki Nai Abadi, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

In the video, family members speak emotionally about the suffering they say they endured. At times, they are visibly distressed and crying as they describe alleged beatings, harsh working conditions, verbal abuse, inadequate wages, sickness, debt and fear.

11 Years of Hard Labor and Inadequate Wages

The family says they spent approximately 11 years working at the brick kiln under conditions they describe as bonded and forced labor.

Babar Masih reportedly stated that they were paid approximately Rs. 800 for every 1,000 bricks, while local sources put the rate for 1,000 bricks at approximately Rs. 1,200.

The family alleges that they performed extremely hard physical labor while receiving inadequate wages. They also say workers received no meaningful financial assistance when they or their family members became seriously ill.

For a poor family dependent on brick-kiln work, illness could create an additional burden, particularly when medical treatment was unaffordable.

Allegations of Beatings, Abuse and Injury

The family alleges that, during their years at the kiln, they were subjected to beatings, threats and filthy and abusive language.

Saleem Masih reportedly described a particularly distressing incident involving his daughter. According to the family, one of her eyes was damaged after she was allegedly struck.

They say such incidents created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, making them feel unable to challenge the conditions under which they were working.

Serious Illness and Death in the Family

The brothers also spoke about serious illness and its devastating consequences.

The family says Amir Masih suffered paralysis. They also stated that their father died after allegedly failing to receive proper medical treatment for his illness.

They say their financial circumstances made it extremely difficult to obtain appropriate healthcare and that they did not receive adequate assistance during periods of serious illness.

Rescue Through Court Intervention

The family says they were eventually rescued from the alleged bonded-labor situation through a habeas corpus writ filed before the court.

However, they say that leaving the brick kiln did not immediately end their fear.

The family alleges that they continue to receive threats and fear possible harm. They reportedly said that individuals connected to their previous circumstances are still searching for them and attempting to locate them through relatives and other places.

They say the continuing threats have made it difficult to feel genuinely safe even after obtaining legal intervention.

Advocate Raises Concerns About Continuing Threats

An advocate involved in the family’s case has also raised concerns about their safety.

According to the advocate, the family alleges that they were mistreated and subjected to abusive language because of their Christian faith, in addition to the alleged bonded and forced labor.

The advocate further stated that, even after police and court intervention, the family continues to report threats from individuals whom they accuse of subjecting them to bonded and forced labor.

The advocate questioned how victims can feel secure when those they accuse of exploitation continue to threaten or intimidate them despite legal proceedings and intervention by the authorities.

Pastor Imran Amanat: Legal Intervention Alone Cannot End the Cycle

Reflecting on the family’s experience, Pastor Imran Amanat, Head of LEAD Ministries, said his experience of working with victims of bonded and forced labor in brick kilns has shown him that legal intervention alone may not be enough to permanently end their suffering.

Pastor Amanat said police and court involvement can provide important protection and legal relief, but victims may continue to face serious difficulties when underlying debt remains unresolved.

He explained that powerful brick-kiln owners can have considerable financial and social influence. In his view, victims attempting to escape bonded labor may sometimes become involved in prolonged legal disputes, with new challenges and pressures arising during the process.

He said that, in some cases, victims may not feel completely secure until the debt or bonded amount allegedly tying them to the brick kiln has been addressed.

Pastor Amanat Advocates Negotiation and Debt Settlement

Pastor Amanat believes that, where appropriate and with proper legal safeguards, a practical solution may involve dialogue and negotiation with brick-kiln owners to settle workers’ outstanding debt or bonded amounts.

Rather than allowing vulnerable families to remain trapped in prolonged disputes and repeated legal challenges, he argues that efforts could be made to negotiate a settlement, subject to appropriate legal documentation and oversight.

He believes that resolving the debt can give victims a more realistic opportunity to achieve lasting freedom.

“It is better to rescue them by talking with the brick-kiln owners and, where possible, paying or settling their outstanding debt or bonded amount, so that they can be permanently freed from the cycle of bonded labor.”

Pastor Amanat stressed that such an approach should not replace the protection of victims’ legal rights. Instead, legal protection, debt settlement and long-term rehabilitation should work together to ensure that rescued families are not forced back into exploitative conditions.

Why Rescue Alone May Not Be Enough

The case highlights an important issue in efforts to combat bonded labor: rescue may be only the first step toward lasting freedom.

A family may obtain a court order and leave a brick kiln, but if it remains deeply impoverished, burdened by debt, without stable employment or vulnerable to threats, its difficulties may continue.

Pastor Amanat therefore emphasizes the importance of addressing the economic circumstances that can contribute to bonded labor. In his view, effective rehabilitation should include, where possible:

Settlement or elimination of outstanding bonded debt.

Safe and sustainable employment opportunities.

Access to medical treatment and emergency financial assistance.

Legal protection and follow-up after rescue.

Protection against threats, intimidation and retaliation.

Educational opportunities for children.

Long-term economic rehabilitation for the entire family.

A Continuing Search for Safety

For Babar, Saleem, Amir and their family, approximately 11 years at the same brick kiln have left them with memories of hardship, sickness and fear.

Although they say they were eventually rescued through court intervention, they maintain that their struggle is not yet over. They fear that those they accuse of exploitation and abuse may locate them through relatives or elsewhere.

Their testimony, shared with Pastor Imran Amanat through a local Christian journalist, highlights the challenges vulnerable families can face even after leaving an alleged bonded-labor situation.

An Appeal for Lasting Freedom

Pastor Amanat says the ultimate goal should be more than simply removing workers from a brick kiln. In his view, genuine freedom requires that victims be released from debt, protected from threats, provided with opportunities to earn a living and supported as they rebuild their lives.

The family’s account raises broader concerns about labor exploitation, poverty, access to healthcare, religious discrimination, legal protection and the long-term safety of bonded-labor survivors.

LEAD Ministries is also appealing to organizations working on bonded-labor rescue and rehabilitation projects to look beyond immediate rescue and court intervention and work toward permanent solutions for vulnerable families. According to Pastor Amanat, filing habeas corpus petitions and obtaining court orders can be important steps in securing immediate freedom, but rescued families may continue to face debt, poverty, insecurity and threats after leaving the workplace.

LEAD Ministries therefore urges organizations involved in such work to consider comprehensive, long-term support, including debt settlement, safe housing, employment opportunities, healthcare, education, legal follow-up and protection from retaliation. The aim should be to ensure that rescued families do not remain vulnerable to the same circumstances that contributed to their exploitation.

The allegations contained in the family’s testimony remain allegations and should be investigated by the relevant authorities. Those accused should be given an opportunity to respond and present their position.

After approximately 11 years of labor, the family is appealing to Christian brothers and sisters for help in settling their outstanding debt or bonded amount, which they believe would provide them with greater safety and freedom from the fear of those they accuse of exploiting and threatening them.

For this family, lasting freedom means more than leaving a brick kiln. It means freedom from debt, exploitation and fear, together with the opportunity to live with dignity, security, independence and hope.

LEAD Ministries believes that every rescue should ultimately lead to a sustainable future — not merely a temporary escape from an abusive or exploitative situation.