News Desk
Sargodha, Pakistan:
A 14-year-old Christian boy from Sultan Town, Sargodha, was reportedly abducted by his employer and later appeared in a video announcing his conversion to Islam, raising serious concerns over child protection, religious freedom, and forced conversions in Pakistan.
The boy, identified as Shamraiz (Shami), had been working at a motorcycle sales and repair shop after the death of his father earlier this year. His mother, Rehana, said he was withdrawn from school and employed to help meet household expenses. According to her, Shami initially earned between 100 and 150 rupees a day, depending on business profits.
Rehana alleges that the boy’s employer, Mohammad Rana Munir, began keeping him overnight under the pretext of learning skills faster. On July 15, Shami returned home and confided to his mother that he had been given a drug-laced drink and sexually abused in Munir’s bedroom. Distressed, Rehana stopped sending her son to work.
On July 21, Munir and two accomplices allegedly came to their house, beat Shami, and forcibly took him away. Rehana claims she tried to approach the police but was initially refused, and she was pushed to the ground during the process.
The First Information Report (FIR No. 625/25), later filed by Shami’s brother, offers a different version, stating the boy went to purchase household items and never returned. The FIR, registered under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code (abduction), names five suspects including Munir, but no arrests have yet been reported.
Days after the incident, a video emerged in which the boy declared he had accepted Islam, taking the name Muhammad Umar. The statement was circulated on social media along with claims that his life was endangered by his Christian family.
Rehana rejected the conversion, stating her son was underage and firm in his Christian faith. She has appealed publicly for his recovery, saying she has been denied contact with him.
Child rights advocates argue the conversion has no legal standing because Shamraiz is only 14 years old. Nadeem Bhatti, President of the Child Advocacy and Protection Council (CAPC), said the case involves multiple criminal elements including abduction, sexual assault, torture, and child labour.
“This is violence against a child who needs protection,” Bhatti said. “We are legally fighting to recover Shami and will advocate with government and civil society to ensure justice.”
The Minority Rights Movement Pakistan (MRMP) team, led by Shireen Aslam, visited the victim’s family in Sargodha to extend solidarity and financial assistance. The team reported that the family lives in poverty, with the elder brother Sahil losing his job while searching for his sibling.
MRMP also visited Munir’s motorcycle workshop, where two other underage boys were reportedly working. They told the team they had not seen Shami in two weeks and that Munir had stopped regular work visits.
This incident follows other cases of mob violence and alleged forced conversions in Sargodha. In May 2024, 70-year-old Christian man Nazir Masih died from injuries sustained in a mob attack after being accused of blasphemy