Christian Girl’s Abduction in Pakistan Leads to her Father’s Death.

Two months ago, a group of Muslims abducted a 14-year-old Christian girl, Mehwish’s, in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and later killed her father when he tried to bring her home.

Tanveer Masih, 42, Mehwish’s father, lived with his family lived in Khalid Colony slum, where he worked as a rickshaw driver. His eldest daughter looked after the house and the younger sisters, while his mother and Mehwish served as domestic workers in private homes.

Mehwish went to school until eighth grade, but then had to abandon her studies in order to help the family. On 12th March this year, a Muslim family visited the Masih-Bibi house to ask if they could hire Mehwish’s services for a party that evening. They said they would bring her back at the end of the celebrations.

However, she never made it home, and has been missing ever since. Tanveer went to the Muslim family that had hired his daughter several times, asking them to release her. Each time, he was prevented from seeing her.

After unsuccessfully trying to bring reconciliation through the village council, Tanveer went to Raza Abad police station on 10th May, where he filed a complaint of abduction against the Muslim family.

Immediately after this, Tanveer started receiving threatening phone calls, telling him to withdraw the complaint. But he refused and, instead, made a supplementary statement before the police.

At that point, two of the accused went to Tanveer’s house and told that they would settle the matter out of court if he withdrew all charges. He agreed to do so and went to a prearranged meeting, but instead of meeting his daughter, he was shot by two gunmen.

Local police filed a murder case but, so far, have not arrested anyone. Tanveer’s widow and Mehwish’s mother, Najma Bibi, and the other three daughters now live in fear that they might also be killed.

Najma Bibi told AsiaNews that “several months after my daughter’s kidnapping, the police have not done anything because we have no money to defend our rights. We live in a hopeless situation, we need help. I pray that my daughter will continue to place hope and faith in Jesus Christ.”

“I want my daughter back. I want the perpetrators brought to justice. I have no money to buy food or continue the legal battle. I ask help from God’s people.”

• Pray for Njma Bibi and her daughters. Pray for peace to fill their hearts and home, for courage to leave their home and find work, and for the means to defend their rights to justice.
• Pray for Mehwish. Pray for her protection, for her faith in Jesus to remain strong, and for her safe and quick return home to her family.
• Pray for Pakistan’s Christians as the face growing oppression. Pray for reconciliation with Muslim communities, for protection and for the freedom to meet together and worship without fear.
• Pray for peace and stability across Pakistan, and for many in this nation to have life changing encounters with Jesus Christ, and come to faith in Him.

Psalm 102 vs 17: “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.”

Source: http://www.asianews.it/news-en, http://www.persecution.org