Islamabad, March 2 A Christian worker was fatally shot in Pakistan’s Punjab province inside a legislator’s room, a leading minority rights group said on Monday.
According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), Naveed Masih, a Christian sanitation worker, was found dead on Friday night within the Punjab Assembly premises, igniting "grief, outrage, and an urgent demand for justice".
The rights body said that Naveed was reportedly found fatally shot in a room associated with Member of Provincial Assembly Sabtain Shah.
Citing reports, the VOPM stated that Naveed had been called by a coworker, Ali Haider, and others, to clean the room. Hours later, he was found dead, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the interaction, and what transpired inside the room.
“Some accounts suggest that faith-based tension and jealousy may have played a role. Allegations have even surfaced that blood stains were hastily cleaned, an act that, if true, could point to something darker—a deliberate attempt to conceal the truth,” it noted.
His funeral, the VOPM said, was held with Christian rites and attended by members of the local community, many of whom expressed concerns over the safety of Pakistan’s religious minorities.
“Christians across the country continue to face the invisible weight of discrimination, fear, and inequality. For many, Naveed’s death feels like a cruel reminder of how fragile safety can be for those who serve quietly, unseen, yet faithfully,” it added.
Community and human rights advocates, the rights body said, have condemned the killing of Naveed, calling for transparency and swift accountability.
“Their voices echo a shared sentiment: that justice for Naveed is not simply about one man—it is about the collective fight for equality, dignity, and hope. To let this case fade into silence would be to betray every promise of justice made to those who still believe in the goodness of the law,” it noted.
Last week, the VOPM highlighted a brutal attack on a Christian minority worker, Yousaf Masih, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, stating that religious communities frequently face violence and systematic exploitation across the country.
These latest incidents raise serious concerns over the Pakistani government’s failure to ensure adequate protection for religious minorities amid escalating violence across the country.
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