Police urinated on Christian mans face during 4 day extreme torture over false theft allegation

A Christian father of a 14-day-old and 7-year-old son was brutally beaten to death by Police in Lahore over a false theft allegation, say his family.

On 28th August 2019 Amir Masih (28 yrs) was arrested on a false charge of theft.  In an attempt to force a confession investigating officers tortured him for four days before eventually placing him in a hospital on September second where he passed away.

His brother Sunny Masih spoke with British Asian Christian Association, he said:

” Amir told us that police officers  urinated on his face and body while torturing him.

“They mocked him for his Christian faith and beat him till he could take no more.

“They thought they could beat him to submission and he would confess to a crime he did not commit.

“But he outright refused, so they went as far as giving him electric shocks – now he is dead.

“It is a tragic injustice that is hard to take.”

While Working as a gardener in PAF Colony, Amir Masih was summoned to North Cantt Police Station in a phone call by Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Zeeshan.  Amir Masih was told he had to answer questions about  a theft case registered by his employer, Rana Mohammad Hanif, Sunny Masih said:

“Amir was working at Hanif’s house when the inspector’s called.

“The watchman of the house told him to record a statement with police at Cantt Police Station, as all employees had been summoned. Amir Masih walked to the Station himself but when he arrived he was forced into a police car, taken to an unknown location and never returned home.

Worried about Amir Masih’s family travelled to his workplace and were told by night-workers that he had been arrested.  So they travelled to Cantt Police Station to find out why he had been detained.

Assistant Sub Inspector Zeeshan who had arrested Amir Masih refused to meet family members when they asked to meet with Amir Masih.  After 4 days of torture ASI Zeeshan then called family members and told them to come to the police station and take Amir Masih to hospital as he was not well.

The family rushed to the police station, and Amir Masih was handed to them in a semi-conscious state. His body had visible wounds were police had beaten him mercilessly.  Amir explained to his brothers that he had been tortured incessantly for 4 days by Inspector Nasir Baig, Sub-Inspector Zeeshan and four unidentified constables

Doctors at Services Hospital tried to save his life, but he succumbed to his injuries after a couple of hours.

A post-mortem report on Amir Masih’s death states that torture marks were visible on his hands, feet, back and arms. His ribs were also broken.

After news of the killing in custody spread on mainstream and social media, Punjab Inspector General of Police Captain Arif Nawaz Khan ordered the  registration of a case against Inspector Nasir Baig, Zeeshan and four other police officers.  He ordered a detailed report on the case.

Police have taken Nasir Baig and Zeeshan into custody, but the four other officers have had no action taken against hem yet. The FIR registered against the two police officers charges them with murder, illegal detention and torture.

Saif-ul Malook who helped British Asian Christian Association, get Asia Bibi out of Jail has agreed to take this case pro bono.  British Asian Christian Association, has met with the family and is offering to pay for Amir Masih’s Funeral and for any safe house they may need.  The family have not accepted our offer yet.

Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee for British Asian Christian Association, said:

“Pakistan has signed the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, since April 2008.

“Yet torture practices are rife within in a police force that undergo little scrutiny.

” Nine Christians have been brutally killed in Pakistan since the act was signed and nothing leads me to believe this is the last death our community will suffer.”

British Asian Christian Association provide advocacy and aid to persecuted Christians in South Asia. If you would like to support the work of the British Asian Christian Association, please donate (here)