Islamabad, July 17 (IANS) At least two young Christian men were fatally shot in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, a leading minority rights organisation said on Friday, warning that the killings reflect persistent threats to lives faced by the religious minorities across the country.
According to Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), 21-year-old Ayush Masih and 24-year-old Domnik Masih were shot dead by gunmen on motorcycles in the Shamsabad area of Mastung district in Balochistan, just a few kilometres away from a Christian neighbourhood. The two men were playing an evening cricket match with a small group when the attackers arrived and opened fire, killing them on the spot.
Citing reports, the rights body pointed to the terror group Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), a local branch of the Islamic State group, in connection with the attack, noting its presence in parts of Balochistan and its history of targeting minorities.
“The murders sent a wave of grief and anger through the local Christian community. Families and friends gathered to mourn. Many felt helpless and afraid. They asked why they were being targeted and why no one seemed able to protect them,” the VOPM stated.
The rights body highlighted that grieving community members staged a protest by placing the victims’ bodies in ambulances and blocking the busy Quetta–Karachi highway, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours.
“It was a powerful and emotional scene: cricket uniforms, coffins, and angry crowds. The protest was meant to show pain—but also to demand action,” it added.
Describing the killings of Ayush and Domnik as part of a broader pattern of violence against minority communities in Pakistan, the VOPM said, “Over the past ten years, at least 18 Christians have been killed in targeted attacks in Balochistan. Some were killed in church bombings. Others were singled out because of their faith or their ethnic background.”
Beyond Balochistan, the rights body noted Christians continue to face challenges across the country, including false blasphemy accusations, mob violence, and systematic discrimination.
“Recent incidents in Karachi and Punjab show how quickly tensions can rise and turn into attacks on homes and families,” it noted.
On Thursday, the VOPM condemned the recent deliberate arson attack on the residence of a Christian family in Punjab’s Pattoki area, saying the incident had left the family homeless and raised persistent concerns over the safety, protection, and equal treatment of minorities in Pakistan.
“This is more than an isolated incident. It reflects a wider and deeply troubling pattern—where vulnerable communities face violence, threats turn into action, and accountability remains uncertain,” it noted.
–IANS
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