14-year-old Christian Shamraiz . After July 25, a new Islamic name, Mohammad Omer, Was given to himShamraiz (Shami) is a 14-year-old Christian boy who, after being sexually abused and then abducted by his employer, recently appeared in a video announcing his conversion to Islam.
When his father died in early 2025, his mother, Rehana, decided to send Shami to work to meet their daily needs. He was removed from school and went to work as an apprentice at the motorcycle sale and repair shop of a Muslim businessman, Mohammad Rana Munir. Shami was paid 100 to 150 rupees (equivalent to 0.49 – 0.73 cents Canadian), depending on business profit, daily.
Munir started keeping Shami with him overnight. When his mother asked him why he was staying overnight, Shami replied that his boss wanted him to learn fast to make more money, which satisfied Rehana.
The story soon took a dark turn on July 15, when Shami returned home after staying with the businessman for two days and nights. He told his mother that Mohammad gave him an intoxicating substance in milk and then sexually abused him in his master bedroom. Horrified, Rehana kept her son home and didn’t let him go back to work.
On Monday, July 21, Shami’s employer Mohammad Rana Munir, along with two other men, came to their house. They knocked on the door and Shami opened it. The men grabbed Shami, beat him, and within few minutes vanished, taking Shami with them.
Shami’s mother, Rehana, was in another room lying down, and when she got up because of the commotion, they had disappeared. She reports: “I thought my son had gone back to work, but when he didn’t come home, I went to report my son as missing. The police refused to hear me, although it seemed they were aware of the whole story. The police even pushed me to the ground, injuring my left knee. Finally, after pressure from the Christian community, the police recorded our statement of complaint and handed over a copy of the First Investigation Police report (FIR).”
The FIR gives a slightly different account of the event. According to the First Information Report (FIR No. 625/25) filed at Police Station Urban Area, Gill-Wala Sargodha on July 22, 2025 by the boy’s brother, Sahil Masih, Shamraiz was taken away from his home in Sultan Town, Street No. 3, near Samuel Memorial Church, on Monday, July 21, around 2:00 PM to purchase household items and did not return. After extensive searches, the family has learned that he is reportedly with five suspects, including individuals named Tuheed, Rehman and Munir.
The first investigation report (FIR) was registered under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with abduction. Police have launched an investigation as of July 23, 2025, but no arrests have been made.
A few days later, a video emerged in which the 14-year-old minor claims to have converted to Islam by saying the ten-second Kalma, an Islamic recitation to become a Muslim.
Rehana says, “I, the mother, had very clear understanding about my son’s faith, as he knew Christ very well. Shami could never convert.”
Shamriaz’s mother appealed publicly via video message on social media for help, saying, “Shamraiz is only 14 years of age. I have been denied contact with him, and authorities have not taken meaningful action.”
Rehana begs the government, civil society, and Muslim community leaders to help bring her son back.
In a complete reversal of facts, the accompanying post claims that Sami’s life is endangered by his family members. Here is the translated text:
*Long live Islam* The saying of the Prophet (PBUH) is that “Indeed, every human being born in the world is naturally born on Islam. Now it is up to his parents to make him a Muslim or a Christian or Jew.”
Former Christian 15-year-old boy of Hadod Thana Urban Area Sargodha was inspired by the teachings of Islam and has accepted Islam. May Allah grant him perseverance in the religion of truth. Amen.
The formerly Christian boy has taken the Islamic name Muhammad Omar.
Despite his fulfillment of all the legal requirements of accepting Islam, his family is threatening dangerous consequences, which is seriously endangering the life of our newly converted Muslim brother. We appeal to the DPO of Sargodha, Commissioner of Sargodha and all the relevant institutions to provide him with complete personal and financial security.
From: Muhammad Omar and all the people and Muslim community of Sargodha.
Nadeem Bhatti, CAPC president, states: “I was shocked to hear the plight of Rehana on a WhatsApp call. She lost her husband four months ago. Rehana was screaming for help during my virtual phone call.
“We will seek legal counsel’s advice to proceed to recover Shami. In my opinion, Shami could not legally convert because he is underage, only 14 years old. The abductor could be charged with several offences, like abduction, rape, torture and child labour.”
Another horrifying religious persecution and human rights abuse incident happened last year in the same city of Sargodha, when a Christian man, Nazir Masih, was badly injured in a mob attack after being accused of committing blasphemy and died after fighting for his life at a hospital for eight days. Nazir Masih, 70, had sustained head injuries before he and other Christians were rescued by police amid violence by an enraged mob in Sargodha’s Mujahid Colony, over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran on May 25, 2024.
On Sunday, August 2nd, a small team from Canadian Aid Persecuted Christians travelled to Sargodha to pay a solidarity visit to Shamraiz’s family and extend financial support to pay the house rent, bills, and a hamper of healthy food that should help for two months. Our team witnesses that the family is very poor. Their house is adjacent to the mosque. The Muslim neighbours were very curious about who we are. The Christian neighbours also told us that the older brother Sahil, married with one son, has lost his job because of having to search for his brother and follow up with the police, and now also needs help.
In her video message the mother expressed her thanks to CAPC and asked us to recover her son and hide him in Islamabad.
The CAPC team visited the business of Mohammad Munir Rana, where there are two children working at his motorcycle workshop. One said the “ustad” (master) is not coming to work anymore but only stops by occasionally for a few minutes. When asked about Shami, one of them replied that he has not seen him for the last two weeks.
Nadeem Bhatti, President of CAPC, said this is violence against a child, who needs protection. The culprit has committed several offences in this case. CAPC’s mandate is to facilitate financial and legal support and advocate for such cases of forced conversion.
After the widespread rape, abduction, forced conversion and marriage cases of Christian girls, now even minority/Christian boys are no longer safe. We will work with other government and non-government Human Rights and Child Rights organizations, and civil society to advocate to rescue and seek justice.
Pakistan’s child laws include the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017 for protection and rights, the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018 for a child-friendly justice system, the Employment of Children Act, 1991 to regulate child labor, and the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Protection Act, 2018 for the capital region.
All of these laws are designed to protect children from violence, exploitation, and neglect in alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Shamraiz is a victim of violence, sexual abuse and child labour. The responsible elements in this case should be brought to justice
