LEAD Highlights Untold Story of Christian Girls Raped in Pakistan

A large number Christian children in Pakistan are being mangled in silence...

Victim Saba Bibi with Advocate Sardar Mushtaq Gill

(PATTOKI, Pakistan) - Police in Pakistan are investigating the rape of a Christian girl Fouzia Bibi. The victim's family is facing violence and mounting pressure along with LEAD (Legal Evangelical Association Development), to avoid proceedings in this case and both are facing some problems including financial crisis.

Another case under investigation is the attempted rape and abduction of a Christian girl named Saba Bibi. This allegedly took place at Baghiana Kilan village, at police Station Phool Nagar, District Kasur.

On 17 February 2013, when Saba BiBi was working in her landlord's fields, a Muslim man reportedly approached her named Muhammad Akram (also known as Amar), who was armed with a pistol. He is said to have forced her to a secret place with the intention of rape and she started to weeping and crying loudly. The culprit allegedly tore her clothes and stripped her naked, according to Naziran Bibi, the girl's mother.

LEAD's Chief Advocate, Sardar Mushtaq Gill, was requested by local Union Council Member Mansha Masih to intervene in the case. The complaint has been filed at the Sadar Bhai Pheru police station, where legal action could be taken against culprit.

"We are very poor and working on a brick-kiln and also under heavy debt loan which is Rs. 200,000, we have to do daily work for earning daily bread, if we do not work daily, how we will be able to feed our children? It will be difficult to follow up the case in court," said Anwar Masih, the victim girl's father.

The plight of Christian girls and women who have been forced to convert to Islam, and subjected to kidnap, abduction, rape and sexual assault in Pakistan, has been on largely unpublished and confined to run-of-the mill articles in the local and international press, sluggish cases in the courts, and common expelled charges due to bribes and personal influence, threats of further violence and family pressure on the victims to avoid at a great distance ‘remorse’.

On August 14, another Christian girl, 12-year-old Muqadas Kainat, was ambushed in a field near her home in Sahawil by five Muslim men who "gang raped and murdered" her.

In every one of these cases, Police either failed to act or sided with the culprits or the victims themselves fail to follow the case.

A large number Christian children in Pakistan are being mangled in silence, with their stories never emerge due to pressure or their financial problems even when they are provided free legal aid.

LEAD is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with Children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. As followers of Jesus, we are motivated by God's grace and love to serve all people regardless of race, religion gender or ethnicity.

We ask for support for fiscal needs for the continuity of work which LEAD doing in Pakistan. We are thankful for all who are financially supporting LEAD’s work for the Persecuted Church. We pray for more who have same vision for the Persecuted Church, to be our partners in this noble cause.

Service in Christ,

Legal Evangelical Association Development