Pakistani Christian is brutally murdered in the street, yet perpetrator may get off (Warning: Graphic Photo)

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian civil rights activist has revealed details of the savage murder of a Christian road sweeper and claims that the perpetrator could now well get away with his "crime."

The body of Abas Masih

Khalid Shahzad, 45, who is also as an editor of a weekly column called "Stop Crimes Lahore," told the ASSIST News Service that the murdered man was Abas Masih, a 40-year-old road cleaner in Lahore.

"The man had four children who were all going to school, and Abas Masih had vision to a build better future for his children so they would not have to be, like himself, a 'slave' of the local City District Government," said Shahzad, who is also the director of the Dorothea Center for Special children, in Lahore.

"He was working hard when, at 5:00 PM on May 21, 2011, he was collecting garbage in his handcart when suddenly a Muslim man rudely called him and ordered him to pick all of the garbage from the front of his shop."

Shahzad said that Abas Masih replied, "Please wait a while. I will empty my cart so the weight in it will be lower and then I'll pick up all your garbage."

Scene of the murder

Khalid Shahzad then alleged that the Muslim became infuriated and insisted that Mr. Masih pick up the garbage immediately and when he didn't do this right way, he picked up a knife and pushed it in to Abas Masih's chest and the knife entered directly into his heart.

"Abas Masih died at the spot," he said.

He went onto say that a First Investigation Report was registered in Lower Mall Police Station, on May 25, 2011, on the behalf of Abas Masih's wife.

"The city's District Government did not become involved although he was killed during the time he was on duty," said Shahzad.

"My information is that the Muslim man will be released soon because Abas Masih wife is not able to pursue this case because of lack of funds and is now looking for a job to support her children" he told ANS.

This is yet another tragic case of how Christians in Pakistan are being treated by Muslims, who often see them lower than animals in the country's society.