Inside Pakistan’s Death Row: Meeting Our Christian Clients Face to Face After Years of Imprisonment for Their Faith

For years –in some cases more than 10 years – our clients have suffered in prison over false allegations of blasphemy against Islam. They’ve been locked away in Pakistan’s prisons simply because of their faith.

Four of our clients sit on death row – in the same prison. The fifth still awaits trial. Yet even behind bars, after years of isolation, delays, and prison squalor, their faith in Christ has not been broken.

During my recent visit to Pakistan, after two years of communicating by phone, I was finally able to sit face to face with several of these persecuted believers – a privilege usually only granted to immediate family members.

This year, however, we sought special permission from the prison authorities, and I was allowed to visit with them for about 45 minutes. I heard their stories firsthand, prayed with them, and witnessed the remarkable way God is still working through them, even behind prison walls.

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Shahzad was just 16 years old when he was accused of blasphemy. After a trial that dragged on for more than five years, he was sentenced to death. More than three years later, his appeal still remains pending before the Lahore High Court. In total, Shahzad has now spent over eight years behind bars.

The Ayub brothers were accused of creating a blog page allegedly containing blasphemous material. They too were sentenced to death, and their convictions were later upheld by the High Court. Their appeal is now pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Altogether, the Ayub brothers have spent more than a decade in prison.

Ahsan was accused of reposting on TikTok an image of a Quran page that had allegedly been defiled by someone else in a separate case. The image had already spread widely across social media, with thousands of people receiving and resharing it. Yet Ahsan was the only person charged for reposting the image. He was sentenced to death and has now spent more than three years in prison.

I’ve shared in previous blogs how God is using these four men in prison. The prison block in which they are confined is Block 7, where there are currently 28 prisoners, including our four clients – all blasphemy cases. I’m glad to inform you that they continue to find community praying together and studying the Bible.

Shahzad volunteers to retrieve essential items from the prison store for all the prisoners of the block. A role that was given to him due to his good conduct. The previous prisoner, who was Muslim, used to steal items. Shahzad also now has all the keys to all the cells in Block 7. He opens the cells every morning to let the prisoners out and perform their respective duties in the prison, and then he is responsible for closing the doors in the evening. Shahzad also oversees all the work of Block 7 prisoners. God’s light continues to shine in one of the darkest places imaginable.

While all four men appeared to be physically healthy, the repeated delays in their hearings have left them deeply discouraged and have caused tremendous pain for their families as well.

Amoon’s wife, Huma, has faithfully visited her husband in prison every single week for more than 10 years. The only visits she has ever missed were when government holidays shut down prison visitation entirely. During my recent visit, Huma accompanied me and the rest of our team. It happened to be her and Amoon’s wedding anniversary, and we all shared a meal she had lovingly prepared for her husband.

I was also able to visit Ahsan’s family home, worship with them at their church, and share words of comfort and encouragement with them. Joining me were friends from two Christian organizations in the United States, and their presence was a tremendous blessing to Ahsan’s family as well.

While God is clearly working in the lives of these men and using them in prison to testify to His glory, we ask that you continue to fervently pray for them and their families. We pray that the courts will soon hear their cases and fully acquit them of these false charges.

And hopefully, one day soon, I will share a meal with them again – this time outside the prison walls.

Take action with the ACLJ. Sign the petition: Defend Dying Christians in Pakistan.