Christian advocacy groups urged U.S. President Donald J. Trump not to close America’s doors to Christian refugees from Pakistan, citing cases of bonded labor, abduction, and alleged misuse of blasphemy laws targeting the country’s Christian minority.
The appeal followed reports that Imran Masih, a Christian laborer from Chak No. 93 RB, a village near the town of Shahkot in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was abducted and forced into bonded labor at a brick kiln, according to Christian rights groups.
Masih’s wife, Gulnaz Imran, said her husband was seized after the family borrowed money for medical treatment and became trapped in debt to a kiln owner.
“My children cry for their father every day,” she said, according to advocacy group LEAD Ministries and footage seen by Worthy News. “There is no one to protect us.”
Bonded labor is illegal in Pakistan, but human rights groups say it remains widespread, particularly in the brick kiln industry, where impoverished families — many of them Christians — are trapped through high-interest loans, manipulated accounts, and intimidation.
Pastor Imran Amanat of LEAD Ministries called Masih’s case “slavery,” urging authorities to act. “The law is clear, yet it is not enforced,” he said.
Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries, said Christians are disproportionately affected. “We cannot remain silent while our brothers and sisters are enslaved,” he said, calling for legal action and international support.
The advocacy groups also highlighted the continued use of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which they say are often misused to intimidate religious minorities.
They cited a recent incident in Punjab where a routine dispute during local bar association elections escalated into a blasphemy case despite no evidence of malicious intent.
Human rights defenders say Christians accused under the laws often face prolonged detention, social ostracization, and threats of mob violence, even before trials begin.
In an open letter dated January 14, Gill urged President Trump to resume refugee admissions, particularly for persecuted Christians. Writing as a Christian refugee and human rights defender, he said U.S. leadership had given hope to vulnerable believers worldwide.
“Many Christians in Pakistan face life-threatening situations because of their faith,” Gill wrote. “They seek safety, dignity, and the chance to live in peace.”
LEAD Ministries said it will continue documenting cases of persecution and urged international governments and human rights organizations to press Pakistan to enforce its own laws protecting minorities.
