Islamabad, March 4 (NationPress) A minority Christian boy in Pakistan has been subjected to a forced conversion to Islam, underscoring yet another instance of injustice against marginalized communities, as reported by a prominent rights organization.

The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) revealed that 14-year-old Jameel Masih from Sheikhupura district in Punjab had been working at a local landlord's cattle shed for five long years before his abduction. His father, Sharif Masih, a daily wage laborer, had traded his son's labor for a mere five maunds of wheat annually, as their circumstances left little alternative.

“For five arduous years, Jameel labored under Muhammad Boota Bajwa, a wealthy landowner in Punjab. On February 22, Jameel's parents visited him, only to be informed that he no longer desired to see them. They pleaded and wept, and only after the intervention of local elders was Bajwa willing to return the boy. However, their reunion was brief,” stated the VOPM.

“Under the cover of night, Bajwa returned with armed men. He forcibly took Jameel away from his parents, who were left screaming in despair. Since that fateful night, the boy has vanished,” the report continued.

Days later, a video emerged on social media, depicting Jameel donning an Islamic cap while a Muslim hymn played in the background.

The local community confirmed the grim reality: “Jameel has been forcibly converted to Islam.”

The VOPM, with assistance from HARDS Pakistan, a Christian advocacy organization, has seen Sharif Masih file a complaint at the local police station. Sohail Habil, the group's chief executive, condemned the event as a severe violation of human rights and committed to pursue the case in the Lahore High Court.

“The Masih family has endured profound injustice. We will not rest until this child is returned,” Habil was quoted by the VOPM.

Human rights activists highlighted that Jameel's situation illustrates the troubling intersection of poverty, faith, and feudal power.

Napolean Qayyum, a recognized Pakistani rights advocate, stated, “When minority children are converted, it rarely involves faith—it’s about control. Moreover, Pakistan currently lacks a federal law that criminalizes forced conversions of minors.”

“Sadly, incidents like Jameel's are not uncommon within Pakistan's Christian and Hindu communities. In regions such as Sindh and Punjab, rights organizations like the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) continue to track cases—most of which involve young girls who disappear, only to return as claimed converts and child brides,” the VOPM concluded.