ASIA/PAKISTAN - After the murder of a Presbyterian priest: Christians pray for peace during Advent

Gujranwala (Agenzia Fides) – Deep sorrow prevails in the Christian community of Gujranwala, which celebrated the funeral Mass on December 6 of Presbyterian Pastor Kamran Michael Naz, who was shot dead by an unknown assailant on December 5 in Gujranwala, Punjab province. Faithful from various Christian denominations attended the funeral service, which took place at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Gujranwala. Pastor Kamran was accompanying his daughter to school around 8:00 a.m. on December 5 when a man approached him, fired three shots into his back, and then fled. The Pastor had previously received threats and had been the victim of an assassination attempt last September (see Fides, 22/9/2025).
Despite the intimidation—and even though some Muslims accused him of “proselytizing”—he continued his mission at the service of the community with courage and humility, as the faithful emphasized. “This attack is particularly devastating because his daughter witnessed the murder and is traumatized. The girl tried to hit the killer with the walking stick her father used after the first attack,” Father Lazar Aslam, OFM Cap, a Capuchin friar and deputy head of the National Peace Commission, an organization uniting representatives of various religions, told Fides. “Despite the constant threats and his disability, Pastor Kamran never ceased to faithfully fulfill the mission entrusted to him by Jesus Christ. His death has traumatized his family and plunged the entire community into grief and fear,” the friar emphasized. “Today we call on the Pakistani government to conduct a transparent investigation into the murder of Pastor Kamran and to protect religious leaders,” he notes. Regarding security measures, the central and provincial governments are currently urging churches and Christian institutions to organize and finance security personnel and precautions at their own expense in the run-up to the Christmas season. “The murder of the pastor is a devastating testimony to the growing insecurity faced by Pakistani Christian communities, who are subjected to discrimination and hatred because of their faith. Equal rights are still not guaranteed, and the most vulnerable women are often converted to Islam,” emphasizes Father Aslam, who hopes for “the urgent establishment and effective work of the National Commission for Minorities,” which the Pakistani parliament recently passed and which is to be established immediately (see Fides, 5/12/2025).
“As we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth during Advent, we pray for the peace and love that Christ brought to humanity. In our prayers, we remember Pastor Kamran’s family and all Christians who face hardship, suffering, injustice, and violence,” he concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 7/12/2025)

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human rights

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religious minorities

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christianity

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