Prominent Pakistani Pastor Shot Dead After Surviving Earlier Assassination Attempt

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – A funeral was underway in Pakistan on Saturday for a prominent Gospel preacher who was shot and killed in a Friday attack, less than three months after he survived another assassination attempt by suspected Islamic extremists, friends told Worthy News.

Pastor Kamran Naaz, who was in his 50s, had been shot after dropping off his children at school in his home city, Gujranwala, sources said. No additional details were immediately available.

At least hundreds of mourners, many of them weeping around his coffin, attended the pastor’s funeral service in a local church, according to video footage obtained by Worthy News.

Pastor Kamran, as he was known to his Presbyterian-linked congregation, had been repeatedly threatened by Islamic extremists for his openly expressed faith in Christ, several sources said.

ESCALATING FEARS AMONG PAKISTANI CHRISTIANS

“The Christian community in Pakistan is in mourning after Pastor Kamran was martyred in a targeted shooting by unidentified assailants on Friday,” confirmed Christian human rights lawyer Sardar Mushtaq Gill, who had close knowledge of the situation.

“The attack intensified concerns among minorities who already feel vulnerable during the Christmas season,” Gill told Worthy News.

“Pastor Kamran, known for his ministry work and commitment to interfaith peace, had survived an earlier assassination attempt in September 2025, when he was shot multiple times in the Iqbal Town area of the capital, Islamabad, while riding his motorcycle. That incident already raised alarms about increasing threats faced by Christian leaders in the country,” Gill recalled.

Worthy News reported at the time that the pastor had been shot “two or three times, including in his leg,” before being rushed to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital.

MOUNTING QUESTIONS OVER SECURITY FAILURES

The police’s First Information Report (FIR), required to launch a criminal investigation, stated that unknown assailants opened fire “with intent to kill.” Doctors confirmed the pastor’s injuries were consistent with gunfire, and Christians called it a miracle that he survived the attack.

However, his death on Friday renewed anxiety among members of his congregation and within a local alliance of pastors that he led, Christians told Worthy News.

Despite these known dangers after the first shooting, adequate security measures were never provided. It’s a failure that church leaders say reflects a broader neglect of the safety of religious minorities,” Gill stressed.

“Such incidents, especially so close to Christmas, show how exposed and unprotected our community remains,” added Gill, who founded advocacy group LEAD Ministries.

CHURCH LEADERS DEMAND JUSTICE, PROTECTION

Pastor Imran Amanat, leader of LEAD Ministries, also “condemned the martyrdom” of Pastor Kamran and called for immediate governmental action. “We demand justice for Pastor Kamran’s family and foolproof security for pastors, churches, and Christian leaders across the country,” he stated.

His killing appeared part of a broader crackdown against devout Christians in Pakistan. Rights group Open Doors ranks Pakistan 8th on its 2025 World Watch List of 50 countries where it says Christians face the most severe persecution.

The group estimates that there are about 4.5 million Christians in Pakistan, roughly 1.8 percent of the population.

“Christians are considered second-class citizens and are discriminated against in every sphere of life,” Open Doors said in its latest report. “Christian girls are at risk of abduction and rape, and Christian women and girls are particularly vulnerable to forced conversion and marriage.”

ONGOING PERSECUTION AND BLEAK OUTLOOK

Open Doors also noted that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws continue to be “used disproportionately against Christians,” warning that even false accusations can trigger mob violence.

Gill, who himself fled death threats by Islamic extremists, urged Christians worldwide “to unite in prayer” and raise their voices, saying “the state’s failure to protect its minority citizens is shameful.”

Yet despite death threats, Pastor Kamran Naaz remained faithful to Christ till his last breath, mourners suggested.

A message on his coffin quoted Bible verse 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

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