Police in Lahore recovered the bodies of two Christian sisters whose Muslim supervisors pressured them to convert to Islam before killing them.
Mushtaq Masih said that police informed him on 4 January that officers had found the decomposed bodies of his 28-year-old wife, Sajida Mushtaq, and her sister, Abida Qaiser, bound and bundled into sacks in an area drainage ditch. Sajida, a mother of four, and Abida, mother of one, had been missing since 26 November.
“After she went missing, one of my relatives shared with us that Sajida had confided in her that her supervisors, Muhammad Mumtaz and Naeem Butt, used to pressure her and Abida to convert to Islam and marry them,” Masih said.
Sajida and Abida began working at a pharmaceutical factory more than two years ago. The sisters had gone shopping on the evening in November and when they did not return home, Masih and other relatives registered a First Information Report at the Kahna Nau police station after searching for them.
The investigating officer of the case, Iftikhar Hussain, said that officers took Mumtaz and Butt into custody after relatives of the sisters informed them that the supervisors had pressured the women to convert to Islam and marry them.
“During interrogation, Naeem confessed that they had abducted the sisters, and after keeping them hostage for a few days for satisfying their lust, had slit their throats and thrown their bodies into the drain,” Hussain said.
Masih said that his family was shattered when police informed them about the recovery of the bodies, whose hands and feet were bound.
Masih and other relatives were asked to confirm the identity of the badly decomposed bodies.
Sources: Morning Star News, CLAAS
- Pray for this family, traumatised by the loss of their loved ones in shocking and violent circumstances.
- Pray for justice for the family and for others who have suffered similar targeted violence.
- Pray the authorities and the Pakistani government will do more to protect vulnerable minorities.
Post your prayer in the comments below.
Lord, I find this difficult to comprehend. It shows the different approaches to evangelism between Islam and Christianity.
Please bring comfort to the families traumatised by this family violence. I ask for justice to be given by the Pakistani government.
May the Pakistani government provide protection for ALL minorities, including Christians.
Heavenly Father,
I pray for the families of these women, both of whom have shown ultimate sacrifice and courage for their faith in You. I extend my prayers for the conversion of their tormentors, who are yet to come to know Your true nature.
May the premature, unjust murder of Sajida Mushtaq and Abida Qaiser be revealed to the world as a wake up call for Christians in countries where we seemingly take our faith for granted, trample it underfoot whenever we deem it inconvenient, and choose to side with the world when justice should be due. Have mercy on us, Lord.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Lord, I pray for comfort and peace for the families of these 2 women, especially the children who have lost their mother at such a young age. Holy Spirit please minister to the deep trauma and pain and shock they are feeling and bring healing to them all.
We ask for justice for this wicked act and that the Pakistani government would protect minority groups in their country. In Jesus name amen.
Lord I pray that your name will be glorified by the torture and death of my beautiful sisters and that many good fruits will grow from it. Bless the family and may an unexplainable peace fill their hearts. In Jesus name amen
Lord this is a truly devastating story. Our heart goes out to the families of these women. How treacherous are the minds and hearts of these two men, to do this to these women, all because they had accepted you as their Lord and Saviour. Lord we pray you comfort the families in their grief, and help them through it. We also pray for justice to come for them and the women, in a country that does not believe in justice for christians at all. Lord there is one thing we do know,if these men never repent and turn their lives over to you, they will have to face you and your judgement, and that will be a forever judgement. So we pray for their sake they turn their lives over to you in humble repentance. In your precious name we pray
Praying. So hard.
Give strength and perseverance. Come Lord Jesus
O Lord, how long? We cry for the families and friends of Sajida Mushtaq, and her sister, Abida Qaiser and indeed all families like them. We thank you for your eternal life in which they now stand and ask for comfort and care for those who remain. Help them to trust you in such a difficult time remembering to rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5) We ask again that Imran Khan (Pakistan’s PM) and the Pakistani Government might act decisively to protect vulnerable peoples and encourage freedom of speech.