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On April 2023, hundreds of Christians fled their homes in the Pakistani district of Jaranwala when Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters started an anti-Christian riot. Participants vandalized churches and set fire to churches and the homes of Christians — all based on an accusation that a Quran was desecrated.

A year later, Pakistani Islamist savagery is once again on full display.

On May 25, a Muslim mob consisting of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters lynched an innocent elderly Christian man, Nazir Masih, over charges of burning a Quran. They also vandalized Masih’s house in Sargodha, set his shoe factory on fire, and looted the factory inventory.

Muslim mobs also attacked the properties of Sargodha’s other Christians, burning and ransacking their properties, leading to the injury of one other local Christian.

Under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic figures can be sentenced to death. In many cases, mobs kill the accused before legal proceedings begin.

From Pakistan’s founding in 1947 to 2021, at least 89 people have been extrajudicially killed over blasphemy accusations, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). This includes high-profile figures such as Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti.

Incidents of mob lynchings over blasphemy allegations have become extremely common in Pakistan, disproportionately targeting religious minorities.

Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, for instance, was a 49-year-old Buddhist man from Sri Lanka. He was lynched by a Muslim mob in 2021 in Punjab over blasphemy allegations. TLP supporters once again were part of Kumara’s killing. He had lived and worked in Pakistan for eleven years.

Kumara was beaten, killed and later set on fire by a mob. He was accused of blasphemy for removing posters with the name of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. A colleague later revealed that Kumara only removed the posters as the building was about to be cleaned. In the trial, it was officially declared in court that Kumara was wrongly accused of blasphemy by factory workers.

In Pakistan, being accused of blasphemy could mean a sudden and brutal death penalty. This violence and suppression of free speech is enabled by Pakistan’s political establishment who allows Islamic fanaticism. Furthermore, the police force is unwilling to intervene to stop the mobs in a timely manner.

Faraz Pervaiz, a Christian journalist from Pakistan who is now in exile, was one of the first to report on Masih’s lynching. He told Frontpage Magazine:

“The police and the government are totally supportive of the perpetrators, and they are the true facilitators of similar violent attacks against Christians and other victims.

“On May 25, the rioters reached to the neighborhood so quickly because announcements were made in the mosques that the Christians had burnt a Quran. Listening to this, nobody inquires, nobody thinks rationally. They just speedily reach to the announced place and start demolishing, burning, breaking down things, and terrorizing Christians through religious slogans. They use abusive language for the Christians – specifically the typical insult “choorra” (meaning people who are so filthy they should not be touched) and bring all sorts of devastation and misery to the defenseless Christians of that locality.

“Muslims then put Christians’ houses on fire. One ‘kindness’ of the law enforcement institutions is that they give a protective exit to the Christians so that they would later see their houses burnt on national media, which is shameful for the government. Law enforcement institutions and the media – instead of protecting the Christians and stopping the mobs on time – feel pride sharing that they have rescued the Christians. How shameful this pride is for the government and law enforcing agencies!

“When a Christian is assassinated or lynched, all Christians feel insecure as they know they can be the next prey for the savage and brutal Islamist TLP party. My Christian contacts in Pakistan are feeling deeply frightened. They live under a constant cloud of fear, especially after incidents like this. The sense of vulnerability has only increased, and many are doubting their safety and future in the country. The riots have subsided for now, but the tension remains high. Many Christians have been forced to take refuge in safer areas or stay indoors to avoid any potential backlash from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.”

Faraz explains what often happens when Muslims murder a Christian in Pakistan:

“When a Christian is murdered in this country, the legal process is fraught with challenges. While there are laws in place to punish such crimes, the implementation is often inconsistent. Social biases, intimidation, and the influence of radical Islamic groups can lead to flawed investigations and judicial processes. In many cases, the perpetrators either go unpunished or receive lenient sentences. The victims’ families often face additional harassment and threats, further complicating their pursuit of justice.”

As a Pakistani Christian reporting on issues such as religious violence, blasphemy accusations, and minority rights, Faraz and his family are subject to constant death threats:

“I have received numerous death threats from Islamist extremists such as the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan Party and from the Government of Pakistan directly. These threats come in various forms, including direct messages on social media, anonymous phone calls, and death fatwas, proclamations by the Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan, perpetual arrest warrants by the Rawalpindi High Court and a bounty of nearly $500,000.

“My family and I have had to relocate several times to ensure our safety which we still do not fully have. Currently, I am outside of Pakistan, but I prefer not to disclose my residential address for security reasons. The constant threat is unnerving. Despite these challenges, I remain committed to my work, believing that shedding light on these issues is crucial for fostering understanding and change.”

Yet, Faraz says the future of Pakistani Christians is bleak unless they receive actual support from the international community:

“The future for Christians in Pakistan remains precarious. They continue to face discrimination, violence, and social ostracization and fear of being accused of blasphemy or mob lynching. However, there are no efforts by civil society or political leaders to promote religious tolerance and protect minority rights. The international community, particularly Western Christians, can play a crucial role by advocating for human rights, raising awareness about the plight of Pakistani Christians, and supporting local and international organizations working to protect and empower these communities. Diplomatic pressure and economic incentives can also encourage the Pakistani government to take more robust measures to ensure the safety and rights of religious minorities. But unfortunately, the Pakistani government never listens to them.”