Pakistani Christian rejected by family, pursued by police

KARACHI, Pakistan — When Malik Pauloos of Bhakkar district, Punjab province finally decided to trust a close relative with the secret that he had left Islam for Christianity, there was no question in his relative’s mind that Pauloos’ relationship with the family was over. The family had been custodians of an Islamic shrine, the Pir Syed Karamat Shah in Kot Islam, for three generations.

Though Pauloos had moved to Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, 20 years ago to start a scrap business, he had continued fulfilling his duty to prepare the shrine for annual pilgrimages — but after he withdrew from it over time upon his conversion, shrine leaders were asking pointed questions about his adherence to Islam.

“I told him (the relative) to get the shrine people off my back, because I did not want to keep any point of contact with my past life,” Pauloos, 36, said. “Although shocked, my relative said that he would first try and make my family understand the situation, and then they could figure out a way of letting me walk away peacefully.”

Pauloos did not realize that, beyond disowning him, his family would file a police complaint against him because, as an apostate deserving death, he was said to have committed “blasphemy.” With authorities’ help, family members are trying to track him down, he said.

Baptized in September after spending more than 10 years learning about the Christian faith, Pauloos said he does not regret trusting in Christ as Savior even though he has lost a comfortable life and a successful business and his Muslim family and friends are in hot pursuit to “kill the apostate.”