Mastermind Of Killing Pakistan Christian Detained At Lahore Airport

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – The main suspect in the killing of a young Christian man in Pakistan that shocked the Christian community has been detained at the international airport of Lahore, the country’s second-largest city, sources involved in the case told Worthy News on Tuesday.

Suleman Masih, 24, was attacked on December 29 last year in the Kot Saadullah area of Rahawali district in the city of Gujranwala and succumbed to his injuries on New Year’s Day, Christians said.

Police made four arrests, but the main suspect remained at large till Tuesdaywhen authorities detained Abdul Rehman while attempting to fly on a “fake and forged passport” to Muscat, the capital and most populous city in Oman, confirmed Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, a Christian aid and advocacy group in the region. “He was detained at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore. He is under Police custody in Police Station Gujranwala.”

The arrest is “a significant step toward bringing the perpetrators to justice and offering some degree of closure to the grieving family and community,” Gill told Worthy News. “Authorities have expressed their commitment to ensuring that all those responsible for the crime will be held accountable.”

Masih was the first known Christian to die in Pakistan in an attack linked to his faith and jealousy over his success as a young farmer, according to rights investigators and church sources.

“Suleman Masih was a very hardworking and entrepreneurial young man. He began his journey collecting waste materials and, with a lot of effort, eventually acquired agricultural machinery to work in wheat and rice fields. Over the past year, he achieved considerable success, managing 25 acres of land and owning a vehicle,” recalled Pakistani priest Lazar Aslam.

For six months, Suleman endured “threats, attacks and harassment,” including “intentional damage to his machinery and the destruction of his crops,” church sources said.

NO ACTION

Despite reporting these incidents to the authorities, there was little to no action, leaving him vulnerable to further violence, according to Christians familiar with the situation.

“Suleman was brutally attacked and shot, sustaining severe kidney damage,” the priest added.

Another individual, who was also injured in the incident, initially gave “a false statement” under police pressure, church officials said.

However, eyewitnesses said Suleman was “an innocent victim of a deliberate attack.”

It comes amid mounting pressure on Christians, who comprise at least 1.8 percent of Pakistan’s predominantly Muslim population of 252 million, according to Christian researchers.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) says the number of minority Christians and Hindus could be 3.5 percent.

Pakistan ranks 8th on the annual World Watch List of 50 nations, where advocacy group Open Doors claims Christians face the most persecution for their faith in Christ.

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