Catholic Pervez Masih, 25, was beaten to death by a group of Muslims in Pakistan

Newsroom (17/02/2022 21:30, Gaudium Press) A young Pakistani, Pervez Masih, 25, was murdered in Lahore by a group of Muslims on 14 February.

The motive for the murder allegedly started the previous day, when two youths entered Masih’s video game shop and Masih refused to play with them.

Akhtar Bhatti, Pervez’s uncle, said that the next day a group of people (between 150 and 200) stormed the Christian quarter of Lahore armed with pieces of wood, bricks and some with firearms.

The group insulted and assaulted passers-by, including Pervez Mashi, who was dragged away by the group and beaten until he fell faint after receiving a brick blow to the head. The assailants then ran away shooting in the air.

According to the country’s statistics centre, only 1.27% of the population is Christian, or the equivalent of 2.64 million people out of a population of 208 million.

Religious persecution against Christians in Pakistan is a constant and is reflected in frequent accusations of blasphemy, or discrimination when it comes to getting a house or a job, for example. (FM)