A village fair meant for celebration became a nightmare for two Christian brothers when they were accused of desecrating the Quran. Like many other boys at the fair, the brothers, along with Muslim children, threw fake currency notes during a swing boat ride. Among the showered notes, some slips containing Quranic verses were discovered.
It was assumed that these slips with Quranic verses were torn and thrown by the Christian brothers, leading to the arrest of their mother and grandfather. Although the Christian mother and grandfather were released after the boys were presented at the police station, the mother remains devastated by the arrest of her beloved sons.
A team from the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) visited the family, providing support to the mother and assuring her of legal and financial assistance in light of the false accusations against her sons.
On 28th August, twin Christian brothers Sahil Masih (18yrs) and Rahil Masih were arrested by Kasur Police after being accused of desecrating the Quran during village fair celebrations in Kelaywala Village, District Kasur. The brothers, who contribute to their family’s finances by working as helpers in a medicine factory in Raiwind, had moved with their family from Kelaywala two years ago in search of better job opportunities.
Previously, on 26th August, the family returned to their native village to partake in the local annual fair. In Pakistani culture, showering currency notes during joyful occasions is a common custom, and the brothers, like many other boys and men at the fair, threw fake currency notes during a swing boat ride as part of the celebrations. However, later in the day, some paper slips with Quranic verses were discovered among the scattered notes, leading some Muslims in the village to assume that these slips were thrown by Sahil and Rahil.
On 27th August, a complaint was filed against Sahil and Rahil by Muhammad Ghulam Mustafa at Sheikham Police Station, Kasur. This led to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR No. 731/24) under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which criminalizes the desecration of the Quran, a serious offense in Pakistan that carries a penalty ranging from three years to life imprisonment upon conviction.
After the registration of the FIR, Kasur police raided the native house of Sahil and Rahil Masih in Kelaywala and arrested their grandfather, Sharif Masih (65 yrs). Under pressure, Sharif led the police to their current residence in Christian Colony, Raiwind. Anticipating their arrest, Sahil and Rahil had already fled to a safe location, but in their absence, the police arrested their mother, Nazia Bibi, and coerced her to produce her sons.
Nazia and Sharif Masih were held in police custody until the brothers were presented at the police station, after which they were released at 3:00 am on 28th August 2024. A team from the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) later visited Nazia Bibi at a village in Kasur, where she is currently hiding to avoid further police harassment. During the visit, she shared details of the incident.
Nazia recounted that on 26th August, the entire family, including her husband Shahid Masih (40yrs), their two daughters Palak (19yrs) and Shumaiya (14yrs), and their three sons Sahil, Rahil, and Sharjeel Masih (16yrs), had traveled to Kelaywala, their native village, to participate in the annual fair. They stayed at the home of Shahid’s younger brother, Daniyal Masih.
The family had relocated to Christian Colony, Raiwind, from Kelaywala two years prior in search of better job opportunities. On 27th August, at around 4:00 pm, police officers from Sheikham Police Station arrived at the residence of Shahid Masih in Raiwind and arrested Nazia Bibi and her father-in-law, Sharif Masih.
“The police pressured me to produce my sons for arrest, but I informed them that I didn’t know where they were working,” Nazia explained. “The police then arrested me and took me to Sheikham Police Station, telling my cousin that we would be released only after Sahil and Rahil were apprehended.”
She further shared, “The entire way to the police station, I was weeping and praying for the safety of my innocent sons.”
Around 10:00 pm, Arslan Masih (32yrs), the brother of Nazia Bibi, took Sahil and Rahil to the police station and presented them to the authorities. Although the police had promised to release Nazia Bibi and Sharif Masih after the arrest of the Christian brothers, they did not immediately fulfill their promise. Instead, they demanded that Nazia and Sharif hand over mobile phones and pictures of Sahil and Rahil.
“The police finally released us by 3:00 am,” Nazia recounted, her voice breaking as she described the ordeal of her sons’ arrest. She tearfully expressed her anguish:
“I don’t know what to do. They have framed my sons. They could never commit such a crime. I want my children returned to me. I want justice for them.”
Nazia Bibi, a housewife, and her husband, Shahid Masih, who works as a mason, are struggling to make ends meet. Sahil and Rahil work as helpers in a medicine factory near Raiwind, earning Rs. 22,000 (£62) to support the family’s poor financial situation.
Juliet Chowdhry, trustee of the British Asian Christian Association, commented: “This tragic case is yet another example of how Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws are weaponized to inflict fear, discrimination, and injustice, particularly against vulnerable communities. These laws are not about protecting faith but about wielding power—used as convenient tools for settling personal scores, fueling hatred, and marginalizing minorities. No divine entity requires human laws for protection, and the very notion that these laws are used to ‘defend’ religion is absurd. This unjust system has left an innocent family torn apart, living in fear and uncertainty.
The Masih family’s suffering is a heartbreaking reminder of how these laws destabilize lives and destroy futures. International intervention is urgently needed to hold Pakistan accountable for these gross injustices. We call upon the global community to pressure Pakistan to reform and eventually abolish these archaic laws, which have no place in a modern, civilized world. Until such change is realized, countless families will continue to face unimaginable hardships and persecution.”
