By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – A Christian family held as modern-day enslaved people by a Muslim brick kiln owner in Pakistan has been rescued, Christians involved in the case told Worthy News Tuesday.
The family of 10 “was freed after legal intervention, having been forced into bonded labor for years due to an unpaid debt. The rescue took place at the brick kiln in [the city of] Phool Nagar” in the Kasur District of Pakistan’s Punjab province “with help from the courts,” said Mushtaq Gill, the founder of Christian charity LEAD Ministries Pakistan.
Pastor Imran Amanat of LEAD Ministries Pakistan thanked “those involved in the operation and stressed the need to end bonded labor.”
He urged “stricter action against exploitative employers in industries like brickmaking.”
Despite the rescue of Asif Masih, his wife Sajidi Bjbi, and their children, Christians remain concerned about their future. The brick kiln owner, publicly identified as Jahangir Baig, “continues to threaten the family, causing ongoing fear for their safety,” Gill told Worthy News.
The case highlights the continuing problem of bonded labor in Pakistan, a system in which generations are forced to pay off debts in circumstances compared to slavery by observers.
“The Christian community, which constitutes a small percentage of the population in Pakistan, is disproportionately affected by bonded labor,” Gill said.
RAMPANT POVERTY
“Many members of this community live in poverty and are vulnerable to exploitation. Despite legal protections, the enforcement of these laws remains weak, leaving countless individuals trapped in a cycle of servitude.”
Pakistan has 2.3 million people, nearly one percent of the population, working in conditions it labels modern slavery, according to the Global Slavery Index.
The Lahore-based advocacy organization Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) assumes this number to be much higher.
The Labour and Resource Department Punjab defines bonded labor as “a system of forced, or partly forced, labor under which a debtor enters, or is presumed to have entered into an agreement with the creditor.”
This definition describes an environment under which individuals are forced into labor, which Gill suggested is the harsh daily reality of many Christian workers.
“Christian communities are trapped in a cycle of exploitation where generations are born into debt and forced into labor. The situation has garnered significant attention. But despite the outcry, little has been done to address the systemic abuse that these individuals suffer daily” in the mainly Muslim nation, he stressed.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest Stories from Worthy News
Hamas has formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, criticizing it as a “partial” deal that fails to guarantee a complete end to the war or a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The United States may abandon efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine within days if no clear progress is made, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on April 18. Speaking after talks in Paris with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio said President Trump is prepared to “move on” from the negotiations in the absence of any clear signs of progress.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced a Christian man to death on Good Friday on controversial charges of blasphemy against Islam, Christians told Worthy News.
Christians across autocratically-ruled Nicaragua “are celebrating Holy Week” leading up to Easter under the watchful eye of police and paramilitary forces, Christians told Worthy News on Good Friday.
Italy’s rightwing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says U.S. President Donald J. Trump has accepted her invitation for an official trip to Rome at a time when the third largest economy in the European Union tries to bridge differences between the EU and the U.S. over trade and security.