Sunni Rizwi Mosque in Faisalabad, Pakistan. (Minhajian, Creative Commons)

LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – A Muslim in Pakistan last week sexually assaulted a 6-year-old Christian neighbor girl, and his family is pressuring her family to withdraw their police complaint and reach a settlement, her father said.

Saleem Masih, an impoverished mason and Salvation Army church member, said his daughter was being tutored by the sister of a Muslim in his early 20s, Muhammad Uzair Riaz Dogar, at the Muslim family’s home when Dogar sodomized her on Dec. 10.

Masih’s daughter had been studying with the suspect’s sister for nearly four months at the home in village Chak No 237-GB, Jaranwala, Faisalabad District, Punjab Province, but on that day the tutor left her and other students with her younger brother and went to do some household chores, he said.

“The accused allowed all the Muslim students to leave except my daughter, whom he then forcibly took to another room and raped her,” Masih told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.

When Masih’s daughter did not return home from the tutoring center at the Muslims’ home on the same street as his house, her mother went to get her – only to find her sitting near Dogar’s home crying in pain, her clothes soaked in blood, Masih said.

“My wife was devastated when my daughter told her that the accused had assaulted her,” he said. “Her condition was such that she couldn’t even walk, and my wife had to pick her up and bring her home.”

The family called police, who took the girl to a hospital, where examination confirmed that she had been sodomized, Masih said.

Police soon took Dogar into custody, but his family has been pressuring the Christians with threats to reach a settlement, forcing them to leave their village, Masih said.

“They had the audacity to tell us that we are poor Christians, and we should be thankful that their son had only sodomized the child, ‘not raped her,’ which would have brought dishonor and shame to us,” he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “They also threatened that if we do not reach a settlement with them, they would make our lives miserable and no one would stand with us.”

Masih said he had resolved to continue pursuit of justice for his daughter despite the threats and intimidation.

“Muslims think that they can commit any crime against us, and no one would dare oppose them,” he said. “The same accused had previously assaulted another Christian girl of the village, but her family kept silent due to the threats. But we are not going to back down from our case, come what may.”

He said the family was grateful to Christians’ True Spirit (CTS) for providing free legal aid and shelter to them and encouraging them to take a stand against the influential Muslim family.

CTS Executive Director Katherine Sapna said police had charged Dogar under Section 376-iii of the Pakistan Penal Code, which prescribes death or a life sentence for those guilty of raping minors or the mentally/physically disabled.

“Many poor Christian families tend to shy from taking legal action against their powerful oppressors for fear of social stigma and threats to their lives, but we were encouraged by the Masih family’s resolve to take a stand for their child,” Sapna said.

In view of the threats to the Masih family, CTS has decided to keep the Christian family away from their home in the village until police file a chargesheet in court, she said.

“It’s very unfortunate that this family has been forced to relocate from their village just days before Christmas,” Sapna said. “However, we think it is important to keep them safe so that the accused’s family and friends cannot force them in any way to reach a settlement.”

Pakistan, whose population is more than 96 percent Muslim, ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

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