KASUR, Pakistan — A Christian brick kiln worker in Punjab Province faces ongoing battles with Pakistan’s bureaucracy after his father converted to Islam under duress to settle a debt. The change, locked into the national database, now blocks Sufyan Masih’s five children from claiming their Christian faith on identity documents.

Sufyan Masih works at a kiln in Kasur district. He told reporters his father, Sadiq Masih, took a 400,000 Pakistani rupee loan — about $1,430 — from his employer roughly 15 years ago. The money went toward medical treatment for Sufyan’s mother, Rasheeda, and family expenses. Debt is common in Pakistan’s brick kiln industry. Workers often borrow advances from owners to bridge gaps between paydays, according to human rights advocates.

Pressure mounted. Sadiq Masih, illiterate and desperate, agreed to convert. Authorities issued him a new Computerised National Identity Card under the name Muhammad Sadiq, marking him as Muslim in the National Database and Registration Authority, or NADRA, records. ‘This name was not his choice,’ Sufyan Masih said. ‘It was imposed because he was financially dependent. He did not change his faith in his heart.’

The fallout hit the children hard. NADRA links offspring registrations to parents’ data. Officials told the family the kids must list as Muslims. ‘We have been told that since our father is registered as a Muslim, we must also be registered as Muslims,’ Sufyan Masih said. ‘But we are Christians. We have been raised as Christians. Why should we deny our faith just to get an identity card?’

Sufyan Masih wants one fix: Restore Sadiq Masih’s original name and religion in the database. That would let his children apply as Christians. The family practices their faith at home despite the records. Pakistan’s brick kilns trap thousands in cycles of bonded labor. Human rights groups say owners exploit debts to demand conversions, marriages, or extra work. ‘We are poor people,’ Sufyan Masih explained. ‘When you take a loan, you become tied. The pressure was constant. My illiterate father was in a weak position.’

Christians make up less than 2% of Pakistan’s 240 million people. The country ranks eighth on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List for Christian persecution. Attacks on churches and blasphemy accusations fill headlines. Families like the Masihs fight quieter fights over identity papers needed for school, jobs, and travel.

No quick resolution appears in sight. NADRA has not commented publicly on the case. Advocacy groups urge legal challenges, but court delays plague Pakistan’s system. Sufyan Masih keeps pressing officials in Kasur. His children wait without cards, locked out of basic services.