A Christian sanitary worker in Sialkot has alleged that he faced repeated pressure from a senior officer to convert to Islam, followed by months of humiliation, threats, and physical mistreatment when he refused. Fearing for his safety and concerned that a false blasphemy allegation might be used against him, the worker has now resigned and appealed to the country’s top leadership for protection.
Michael Masih, who has served in the Bureau of Statistics for 14 years, says the harassment began when his senior officer called him into his office and encouraged him to embrace Islam, telling him that a Christian boy in a nearby district had converted and was now seeking marriage. Michael says he clearly stated that he wished to remain Christian, explaining that he was born into a Christian family and did not want to change his faith.
According to Michael, the officer became increasingly hostile after this refusal. He claims he was insulted publicly, mocked for his faith, and pressured again to convert. Michael alleges that during one incident he was physically assaulted before another staff member intervened.
He further states that the senior officer changed his name to “Shehzada”, instructed staff to address him by that name, and stopped his family from calling him Michael. Michael also alleges that he was forced to perform personal domestic chores for the officer, including cleaning, washing the car, fetching water, buying groceries, and picking up his child from school—without payment. Despite working under him for four years, Michael says he was never compensated for additional labour.
Michael adds that he often received threatening calls late at night and fears that a false or malicious allegation could be used against him to harm his reputation or put him in danger. The ongoing pressure, humiliation, and rising fear eventually led him to submit his resignation, though he believes it has not yet been forwarded to the Lahore head office.
Living in the same building as the officer has intensified his concern. He says the officer’s family also stopped speaking to him after he refused to convert, and minor everyday matters became another means of harassment.
Michael has appealed to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, the Prime Minister, the Army Chief, and senior police officials to intervene, saying he no longer feels safe and needs urgent protection.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the allegations. The matter is being closely monitored, and support continues to be provided to the affected worker as efforts move toward a peaceful and fair resolution of the case. The concerns raised about pressure to convert to Islam remain central to the complaint and require an impartial and transparent inquiry.
