Christian doctor arrested for blasphemy in Pakistan as mob burns his clinic in Punjab
Kamran Masih’s wife and three children fled their village after a mob set fire to his medical dispensary following Friday prayers.
On the evening of October 9, 2026, Christian doctor Kamran Masih was arrested by police in Narang Mandi, located in the Sheikhupura district of Punjab province, following allegations of inciting religious hatred online. Plainclothes officers took the doctor from his home in Ghariyal Kalan village without prior notification to his family. Hours later, Masih telephoned relatives to confirm he was in police custody.
The allegation against the doctor arose after he shared a Facebook post originally published by YouTuber John Saqi. Members of the local Muslim community claimed the post contained blasphemous material. As tensions mounted, the doctor's wife and three children fled the village that same night to avoid retaliation.
The following afternoon, around 2:30 pm, hundreds of men gathered in the village after Friday prayers at the local mosque. Shouting religious slogans, the crowd marched toward Masih's properties. Subsequently, a mob attacked the dispensary with sticks and bricks and set the building on fire. The fire destroyed the clinic's wooden and glass entrance, medical supplies, and fixtures.
