Islamabad, March 7 – A Christian minority worker in the Punjab province of Pakistan was allegedly tortured to death by his Muslim employers, who then staged the murder to appear as a suicide by hanging, according to a report released on Saturday, citing allegations made by the victim's younger brother.
According to Dilshad Masih, the 21-year-old deceased, Marcus Masih, had worked for five years at a cattle farm run by Muhammad Mohsin Kharal and Muhammad Basharat Kharal in the Sargodha district of Punjab.
Dilshad said that Basharat called him on the morning of March 4 to inform him that his brother had hanged himself from the ceiling of a cattle shed, as reported by Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
“Two relatives and I immediately went to their village, where we saw Marcus’s body hanging from the ceiling. They told us they had no idea why he would take his own life,” Dilshad said.
Dilshad further stated that the family became suspicious after hospital staff handed over the body following a post-mortem examination. He claimed that lawyers connected to the Muslim employers pressured them into placing their thumbprints on a blank sheet of paper, saying it was necessary for sending the body for autopsy.
“We were in deep shock and grief and did not question them. But when the body was returned to us, we saw severe bruises and burn marks. That is when we realised Marcus had been tortured,” he said.
The report noted that in the wake of the incident, dozens of Christians held a protest by placing the body on the main highway and obstructing traffic, demanding that a criminal case be filed. Police later lodged an FIR, said Dilshad.
Condemning the killing, Asher Adeel, a human rights advocate based in Sargodha, called for an impartial investigation.
“The visible injuries suggest severe torture. If the allegations are true, the accused not only killed him but attempted to disguise the crime as suicide and coerced the family into signing blank papers. Authorities must ensure that no one is above the law,” Adeel said.
Dilshad added that the family is seeking legal aid and has urged provincial authorities to conduct a transparent investigation. “We just want the truth. My brother deserves justice,” he stressed.
Citing Christian rights groups, the report said that the case “reflects broader vulnerabilities faced by religious minorities in rural Pakistan, where impoverished Christians often work in low-paid, informal sectors under influential landowners.”