Former Police Inspector Arrested for Murder of Christian Worker Kashif Masih in Sialkot

SIALKOT, PAKISTAN – May 15, 2025

In a significant development in the case that has drawn international attention to the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan, authorities have arrested former Police Inspector Malik Irfan for the torture and murder of Kashif Masih, a 35-year-old Catholic man from the Sialkot district.

According to details provided by the victim’s brother, Riyasat Masih, Kashif had been working on Malik Irfan’s agricultural property in Mohalla Jamalpur, Jamkay Cheema village for the past three years. He was allegedly tortured to death on May 12 after being accused of stealing a mobile phone. The arrest comes amid growing concerns about violence against Christians in Pakistan, following another recent case involving the suspicious death of Asher Masih, a Christian WAPDA employee whose body was found in a Lahore canal.

Details of the Arrest and Investigation

DPO (District Police Officer) Faisal Shahzad took immediate notice of the incident and formed a special team to apprehend those responsible. The Motra police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and successfully arrested the primary suspect, former Inspector Malik Irfan. According to police sources, Irfan had been removed from service by the Gujranwala police several months ago for abuse of power.

Two alleged accomplices, Areeb Babar and Ijaz Ikramullah, who reportedly assisted in the torture, have obtained pre-arrest bail from a local court. Police are still searching for other suspects believed to be involved in the crime.

“No one is above the law,” stated DPO Sialkot Faisal Shahzad. “We will ensure that the accused receive exemplary punishment according to the law, and justice will be provided to the family of the deceased under all circumstances.”

The case has raised serious questions about abuse of power, as the primary accused is a former police official who allegedly leveraged his position and connections to commit the crime and initially evade justice.

According to an official statement, Sialkot Thana Motra: Former Police Inspector Malik Irfan, the primary suspect in the murder of Christian youth Kashif Masih, has been arrested.

Kashif Masih, a resident of Mohalla Jamalpur in Jamkay Cheema village, who worked at Malik Irfan’s agricultural property for the last three years, was tortured to death on May 12 by Malik Irfan with the help of accomplices Areeb Babar and Ijaz Ikramullah on suspicion of mobile phone theft.

DPO Sialkot Faisal Shahzad took notice of the tragic incident and formed a special team for the immediate arrest of the suspects. The Motra police have registered an FIR and arrested the main suspect, Inspector Irfan, who was removed from service by the Gujranwala police several months ago for abuse of power. The co-accused have obtained protective bail from a local court.

According to DPO Sialkot, no one is above the law. The suspects will be given exemplary punishment according to law through the courts, and justice will be provided to the heirs of the deceased under all circumstances.”

– Spokesperson, Sialkot Police

Brutal Details of the Murder

According to Riyasat Masih’s account, at about 2:30 a.m. on Monday (May 12), two relatives of Irfan – Areeb Babar and Ijaz Ikramullah – forced their way into the Masih brothers’ home.

“They alleged that my brother Kashif had stolen a cell phone from their outhouse,” Masih told investigators. “They conducted a thorough search of our house and left after finding nothing there. They did not tell us at that time that Kashif was in their custody since the evening of May 11, Sunday.”

At 5 a.m. the same day, neighbors informed the family that someone had dumped Kashif Masih onto a street, badly beaten. The family found him “badly bruised with blood gushing out from several parts of his body” but still breathing. Before succumbing to his injuries, Kashif Masih revealed that Malik Irfan had summoned him on the evening of May 11, accused him of stealing a mobile phone, and ordered seven accomplices to beat him until he confessed.

The autopsy revealed horrific details of the torture, including steel nails hammered into Kashif’s legs. The brutal nature of the murder shocked the local community, with Riyasat Masih questioning why such extreme measures were taken over an alleged phone theft.

“If they had suspected Kashif of stealing the phone, they could have simply handed him to the police or brought the matter to our notice,” he said. “The manner in which they mercilessly beat him black and blue and hammered nails in his body makes me suspect that the reason was something else.”

Community Response and Legal Proceedings

Local Christians have rallied around the victim’s family, offering both emotional and financial support. “I’m very grateful to my community for standing with us in this difficult time,” Riyasat Masih said. “They have not only raised funds to support us but are also actively engaged in finding good legal representation which can help us in getting justice for Kashif.”

According to Riyasat, police were initially reluctant to register a murder case against a former police officer. It was only after a large number of Christians gathered at the police station that officers eventually registered the First Information Report (FIR) and arrested Irfan.

The victim came from a large family of laborers. “We are seven brothers and two sisters, and Kashif was the fifth among us,” Riyasat explained. “Our father passed away some years ago, and all of us work as laborers to support our families. I cannot tell you the condition of our elderly mother who is devastated by Kashif’s gruesome murder.”

Human rights organizations and Christian community leaders have expressed deep concern over these incidents, suggesting they reflect a broader pattern of discrimination and violence against religious minorities in Pakistan.

“The arrest is a step in the right direction, but we need systemic change to address the root causes of discrimination and violence against minority communities,” said Saleem Shakir, President of Christian Business Fellowship Pakistan.

International Attention

The case has drawn attention from international human rights organizations and diplomatic missions, with several calling for Pakistan to uphold its constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and protection for all citizens regardless of faith.

Faith & Freedom News will continue to follow this case closely as it proceeds through the legal system, providing updates on the judicial process and highlighting the broader implications for religious freedom in Pakistan.

Call for Systemic Reform

Advocates for religious minorities emphasize that while individual arrests are important, systematic reforms are necessary to address the underlying issues of religious discrimination and abuse of power.

“These incidents happen in a context where religious minorities often face prejudice at multiple levels of society, including within the justice system itself,” noted a religious freedom analyst familiar with the region. “True justice requires not just punishment of perpetrators but transformation of the systems that enable such abuses.”

For updates on this case and other religious freedom concerns across the world, keep visiting Faith & Freedom News FFN 

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