FAISALABAD (PAKISTAN)
Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News) [Hong Kong]
June 25, 2024
By UCA News reporter
Former parish priest from Faisalabad diocese also threatened to release ‘private videos’ of the victim and kill her brother
A Catholic man in central Pakistan has filed a police complaint accusing a priest of raping his teen daughter and blackmailing and threatening his family, four months after the priest was suspended.
Zulfaqar Masih, a Catholic laborer, complained to the police on June 22 against Faisalabad diocesan Father Naveed Thomas.
Thomas was parish priest of Masih’s St Pius X parish in Chak Jhumra, a village of poor Christians.
Masih’s complaint accused the priest of repeatedly raping his 19-year-old daughter and arranging for an abortion when she became pregnant.
When the family confronted him, Thomas threatened to release the victim’s “private videos” and kill her brother, the complaint claimed.
Police registered a rape case against Thomas.
The Faisalabad diocese suspended Thomas in February, and an inquiry was set up against him after the family complained to the bishop.
Police investigation officer Naila Zafar said Thomas has secured pre-arrest bail till June 29.
“There are many contradictions in the case,” she said.
Police sent Thomas’ mobile phone for forensic examination, given his alleged threats to the victim and her family, the officer said.
Masih said the priest offered to help his daughter study an intermediate course in computer science in December 2023.Although the school was located near their village, Thomas convinced the family to let her live on the parish premises along with nuns to get help with her studies.
“I trusted him as he is a religious leader,” Masih stated in his complaint. “But he took my daughter to the house of a catechist” and abused her.
The victim escaped from the catechist’s home after months of abuse when the priest was away attending a marriage.
Faisalabad vicar general Father Abid Tanveer said that in February, Thomas was asked to “stay home to pray and reflect for a while during Lent season.”
Tanveer told UCA News that Thomas has “the same history wherever he went.”
UCA News contacted Faisalabad Bishop’s House to know the details of the case and the priest’s whereabouts but did not receive a reply.
Thomas denied all allegations in a video circulating on social media.
“I challenge all priests and faithful with whom I have worked to give witness before any forum that I can be an offender of raping at gunpoint… I will present myself and remove this holy vestment in front of the altar at the cathedral and return home. I have no right of holy service if they think so,” he stated in the video.
Masih said he has moved his family to an undisclosed location for their safety.
“We have been getting threats since the bishop initiated the inquiry against Thomas. We want justice,” he told UCA News.