KASUR DISTRICT, Pakistan — A Pakistani court has granted a man the right to register as a Christian after his employer fraudulently changed his national identification card in an apparent attempt to enslave the man, reports a legal advocacy organization.
Alliance Defending Freedom International says Masih, 24, “was fraudulently converted and registered by his employer as a Muslim on his National Identity Card. The employer registered Masih as a Muslim in an attempt to enslave him, including withholding pay and prohibiting him from returning to his family. The employer claimed that he adopted Masih when he fraudulently switched his identity to a Muslim.”
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‘Fraudulent conversion’
A judge in May 2024 rejected Masih’s case, saying the card could be changed only if converting to Islam or if an error could be proven. “As stated by civil judge Mian Usman Tariq, ‘Islam teaches that everyone is Muslim at birth,'” reports ADF International.
In November 2024, a judge “set aside the earlier verdict, holding that Masih was a victim of fraudulent conversion by his employers,” states ADF International.
Masih now has a card reflecting his Christian faith.
Attorneys allied with ADF International represented Masih in his legal battle that began in 2022, the advocacy organization says.
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