By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Tensions remained high Friday in Pakistan’s Punjab Province after local police detained a mentally challenged Christian on charges of blasphemy against Islam, Christians told Worthy News.
Farhan Javed Masih, 28, was taken into custody in the Ghala Mandi area of Punjab’s central city of Sahiwal after a local Muslim resident, Muhammad Bilal Khan, accused him of “speaking against Islam,” Christians said.
He was also accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam’s “sacred figures,” said the suspect’s mother, Parveen Javed.
“Farhan, who is reported to be mentally unstable, was taken into police custody as a precautionary measure. It happened after a large crowd gathered, calling for his immediate punishment,” said Sardar Mushtaq Gill, the founder of LEAD Ministries Pakistan, a Christian advocacy group.
“The situation has sparked fears of mob violence, with many local Christians fearing for their safety,” Gill told Worthy News.
Pastor Imran Amanat, another leader with LEAD Ministries Pakistan, confirmed the arrest and urged Christians worldwide to pray for Farhan’s life and the safety of the Christian community in the area. “The situation is critical. We ask for prayers for Farhan and for peace to prevail in this tense moment,” Pastor Amanat said in remarks sent to Worthy News.
The Christian’s mother shared those concerns. Parveen Javed said her son, a member of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, had completed a four-year nursing course. He had worked at Adam Welfare Hospital in Sahiwal but was fired in 2023 due to mental illness and drug addiction, she said.
HEROIN ADDICT
“Farhan had become a heroin addict, which aggravated his mental health,” she was quoted as saying by Christian news service Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
“We have tried to get him treated, but it didn’t work. Ever since he lost his job, Farhan used to loiter around the village all day saying absurd things. The entire village knows he is of unsound mind,” she added.
Javed, widowed six years ago and mother of three children in Chak 134-9/L village, said Farhan Masih’s mental health started deteriorating after his father’s death. “Getting him arrested for blasphemy will only aggravate his mental condition,” she said in published remarks.
He is the latest among at least scores of people being detained on blasphemy charges in Pakistan, an Islamic nation with strict blasphemy legislation, several sources say. “The situation has sparked fears of mob violence, with many local Christians fearing for their safety,” added Gill, a devoted Pakistani Christian who himself fled his home following death threats.
He urged authorities to ensure “the protection of all citizens,” regardless of their religious beliefs. “As the situation continues to unfold, local authorities have deployed additional police forces to manage the unrest and prevent further violence,” explained Gill. “The Christian community in Sahiwal remains on edge, hoping for a fair legal process and protection from the rising threats of mob justice.”
He said LEAD Ministries Pakistan is “asking for continued prayers not only for Farhan Masih but also for the safety and well-being of Christians in Pakistan, who frequently face threats under the country’s blasphemy laws.”
On Friday, Farhan was believed to remain in police custody. “Authorities are working to prevent the situation from escalating further. However, concerns about the potential for mob violence persist, and the Christian community in Sahiwal remains on high alert,” Gill warned.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether Kansas City can use its public accommodation ordinance to require Christian counselors to counsel gay married couples despite the counselors’ biblical convictions on marriage and sexuality.
Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in the Netherlands for one of Europe’s largest multi-day Christian events, with organizers and participants expressing hopes for spiritual revival in the nation and across Europe.
President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against sharp criticism from Republicans and former administration officials over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, insisting that any final accord must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or it will not be signed.
President Donald Trump said Monday that countries involved in negotiations over Iran should be required to join the Abraham Accords, signaling that the White House is seeking to turn a possible Iran agreement into a wider regional realignment that includes normalization with Israel.
Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Sunday after at least tens of thousands of people demanded elections and rallied against what they view as the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vučić, with violence erupting after the protest and more than 20 people arrested.
Investigations were ongoing Sunday into the killing of three senior Kuki-Thadou Christian church leaders by unidentified gunmen in India’s northeastern Manipur State, Christian investigators told Worthy News.