Christian pastor murdered in Muslim-majority Pakistan

MUMBAI, India – A prominent pastor in Pakistan was shot and killed last week in the Muslim-majority South Asia country.

Reverend Kamran Salamat, 45, was shot and killed in a targeted attack outside his residence in Islam Colony on Sialkot Road in the city of Gujranwala.

Pastor Shahzad Salman, brother-in-law of the murdered man, told BACA the attack happened when Salamat came downstairs with his daughter Numeer to drive her to college.

An unknown person on a motorcycle approached and opened fire, striking him in the right wrist, left ear, and lower abdomen.

Salman said Numeer struck the gunman with her father’s crutch, after which he fled.

The murdered pastor had previously served as a minister at the Church of Pentecostal in Islamabad and was also Chairman of the Pastor’s Alliance Islamabad.

Salamat was well-known as a committed social activist who advocated for the rights of Christians in the capital.

“He used to support members of the Christian community in his area,” Salman told BACA.

He told the news organization that two months ago, religious extremists shot his father-in-law in Islamabad, but the bullet only struck his right leg, sparing his life. Salman urged Salamat to relocate to Gujranwala with his family for safety.

“He would travel to Islamabad every Saturday for Sunday service at the Church of Pentecostal,” Suleman told BACA.

Pakistan has a population of over 241 million people, of which 96 percent are Muslim. Christians make up just 1.4 percent of the population, or 3.3 million people.

According to International Christian Concerns, Police arrived shortly afterward the murder of the pastor. They collected forensic material, and secured CCTV footage from nearby locations.

“This is another tragic attack on a Christian. His murder has once again raised questions about the protection of Christians, especially Christian religious leaders,” said Aftab Alexander Mughal, the director of Minority Concern.

“Pastor Salamat was a missionary working among Afghan families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area where religious militants have been involved in many brutal attacks, including attacks on law enforcement agencies,” he told Crux.

“Pastor Salamat had previously been attacked and injured by unknown assailants, after which he moved to another location in Punjab province. This appears to be a targeted attack. There are speculations that he was killed by hardline religious groups because of his missionary work,” Mughal added.

“Due to the hostile environment, many Christians feel unsafe in their own homeland. Therefore, the state should provide better protection to Christian institutions, including Christian religious leaders, and create an environment where Christians can feel secure,” he continued.

“Pastor Salamat’s family deserves justice. Law enforcement agencies should arrest the attackers and ensure they are punished according to the law. The government should also provide financial support to Pastor Salamat’s family, as they have lost the head of their household,” Mughal said.