Pakistan: Christian Inmate Being Treated After Brutal Beating

Last week of February, Peter John, inmate in Central Jail Adyala, Rawalpindi was beaten up brutally by the prison staff due to Christian faith.

(ISLAMABAD) - A Christian persecution has no limit, but Christian persecution news coverage is pitiable in Pakistan. Clearly, in today’s deeply connected Christian world, truthful unbiased and unfiltered news about realities of persecution is a basic need to address. I do write on it but don’t have any regular platform to publish this news. Some online papers do it but don’t pay even a single penny. There is no any regular assistance, my local paper don’t pay enough to meet the basic needs. A house rent, school fee, kitchen expenses and my daily expenses push me to do extra work and thus I cannot afford to reach far and wide.

Sohail Johnson, chairman Sharing Life Ministries Pakistan claims that Christian prisoners are treated in a very inhuman way in Pakistani jails. The attack on Christian inmates is very common inside the central Jail Adyala, Rawalpindi and other prisons in Pakistan.

Last week of February, Peter John, inmate in Central Jail Adyala, Rawalpindi was beaten up brutally by the prison staff due to Christian faith. He was coming to church for Morning Prayer in the jail. (With the efforts of local Christian, a church is built in jail and local priest visit them on weekly basis, according to Safder Chuadhry, Shahbaz Bhatti - Federal Minister for Minorities, assured to provide funds for the said church in 2010, but didn’t fulfill his words). Chaudhry Safdar Saleem, Rah-e-Nijat Ministry asked me to join him to help the inmate in this regard.

Due to my official commitment, I couldn’t join him but I published the news on February 27, 2014, Daily Khabrain, Islamabad. Peter John reportedly hung upside down and beaten up by the prison staff and was shifted to isolated cell instead hospital. Safdar filed an application to the court to investigate the matter and prayed that the accused should be shifted to hospital for medical treatment. The judge harassed the applicant to proof his own identity but he went to the jail later for judicial inquiry on February 28, and found him injured. Judge ordered to bring him to the hospital for his medical treatment.

On March 01, 2014; Tariq Chaman, President & Shamim Masih, Secretary General, Minority Journalist Association Islamabad went to the hospital to see the injured inmate. The scars on his body, clearly tell the history to his brutal punishment, he had faced. Peter told that a huge circle has been made in front of the barracks where he was beaten up. He also alleged that inmates are forced to run from one barrack to another are beaten up until they faint. Peter John is accused to theft and his case is under trail under section 683 PP. International community should step in to support minorities in Pakistan and to support the voices of the voiceless who refuse to give up the idea of a pluralist society.

About Shamim Masih

"I am Christian rights activist and freelancer Pakistani journalist specializing in writing about Christians rights for the different papers in the world. My aim is to create a peaceful environment in the society and to help eliminate Christian persecution through my writing as I bring the plight of these brave people under the spotlight of the whole world."

Shamim Masih was born in Sheikhopura's village and raised in Gujranwala, a city in Pakistan's Punjab province. He earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of the Punjab, Lahore majoring in English, Economics and Statistics; he also received a Masters Degree in Business Administration

As a freelance writer and author, Shamim has written for different papers in the world; his expertise is in writing articles highlighting different social issues. He has served as freelance chief reporter and column writer in “Minority Times” in Islamabad, and a number of Shamim's articles have been published in local papers as well.