Wives of imprisoned Christians in Pakistan can feel just as trapped as their husbands in a daily struggle to survive. Thankfully our partners stand with them, offering spiritual as well as practical support.
Pakistani Christian Nawab Bibi (pictured above) is able to see her imprisoned husband, Zafar Bhatti, only once a month.
She tries to visit him regularly but she has relocated from Islamabad to Lahore, which is safer for her and where she receives more support but it is much further away from the prison.
Zafar, a pastor, was falsely accused of blasphemy in 2012 and has been behind bars ever since.
Both he and his wife now have significant medical needs: Nawab’s poor hearing and eyesight are a daily challenge for her, while her husband struggles with diabetes, which has led to swollen feet, as well as a heart condition and stomach pain.
Arguably most concerning of all, he appears to have lost hope of ever being released.
When Release International visited Nawab with our partner she wept as she reflected on the years they had been apart and the hardships that had entailed for both of them. She is also deeply discouraged because no one seemed to be pursuing Zafar’s case.
At the same time Nawab is under pressure to vacate her home, which is causing her a significant amount of worry. Understandably she wants somewhere that is private but it is not easy to acquire suitable accommodation.
Our partner, Lahore Evangelical Ministries, continues to support her, regularly visiting and providing pastoral and also some financial help.
Zafar was charged with sending blasphemous text messages in July 2012, an allegation he has denied. In May 2017 he was sentenced to life imprisonment even though the mobile phone in question was not registered to his name. In December 2021, that punishment was increased to a death sentence.
Before his arrest Zafar worked selling medicines door to door and would often take the opportunity to read the Bible and pray with families in homes he visited. He founded and led a small organisation called Jesus World Mission to help the poor.
In prison Zafar has experienced pressure from other prisoners to convert to Islam and has been beaten several times. In 2013 his food was poisoned and he was left in a critical condition for several days.
During our most recent visit Nawab asked for prayer that Zafar’s case would be handled well by a new lawyer, that his health would be restored and that he would finally be released. Voice.
