Page 7 - R127-Voice-and-Prayer-Shield-Linked

lawyer, that his health would be
restored and that he would finally be
released.
PLEASE PRAY
•
 For God’s protection on Zafar in
prison and provision for Nawab
•
 That justice would prevail
•
 For God’s help and peace for Nawab
and their children
•
 For Zafar’s precarious health (his
heart function is very low) and
that Nawab would receive urgent
cataract surgery
Find out more about Zafar’s case on
the Prisoner Profiles pages of our
website, releaseinternational.org.
Hard-pressed
on all sides
It takes Marilyn Asif five hours to
travel to see her husband, Asif Pervaiz,
who is in prison in Faisalabad.
She visits with her children as often
as she can but as well as the physical
demands of making such a long
journey it also costs a lot per trip,
which includes buying medicines for
Asif and preparing food as well as
paying for transport. Because the jail
is not easily accessible she has little
choice but to hire a private car to
reach it.
Like Zafar, Asif was accused under
Pakistan’s widely misused blasphemy
laws. The case against him was
initially brought in 2013; in 2020
he received a death sentence and
immediately Marilyn and their
children had to go into hiding to
protect themselves from militant
attacks.
‘Life without a husband
is very difficult’
Marilyn looks after four children: her
oldest son who is 15, another son who
is 13 and twins (a boy and a girl) who
are 10. They usually see Asif once
a month. His parents also visit but,
under strict prison rules, no one else
is allowed to see him.
Marilyn always takes the children with
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
Nawab Bibi
has been
separated
from her
husband for
12 years
Marilyn and the
children had to go
into hiding after Asif
was given a death
sentence
7
her and they are allowed one hour
with Asif.
There is a glass screen between them
and they can speak only through an
intercom one at a time. Sometimes
the children compete to be able
to speak to their father over the
intercom. They are always pleased
to see him but understandably leave
with a sense of disappointment that
they will not be able to be with him
again for some time.
Marilyn told us: ‘There is [nothing
pleasant] in my life, I am struggling
with the children and life without a
husband is very difficult.’
She experiences some opposition
from the community and is not happy
having to share a house with the
owner, who does not allow NGOs
(non-government organisations) to
visit. The children are constantly
being asked questions about their
father and his imprisonment, which is
distressing for them.
When Asif was handed the death
sentence, Marilyn’s in-laws forced her
out of the home. She has heard that
Asif’s father has developed cancer
and would like to see him but she is
not sure whether that will be allowed.
For Asif too, life in prison is
immensely challenging. He has
depression and is on various
medications. On top of this he has
a fast heartbeat for which he is
scheduled for tests as well as eyesight
problems for which he needs glasses.
Marilyn holds on to the hope that her
husband will be acquitted and asks
for prayer that another court hearing
would happen soon – the last one was
in April 2023. She also asks for God’s
help for her and the children.
Thanks to the generosity of Release
International supporters, our
partners have been able to assist
Marilyn financially so she can visit
Asif as well as provide for the basic
needs of the family.
PLEASE PRAY
•
 For an improvement in Asif’s health
•
 For peace and provision for Marilyn
and their children
•
 For another court hearing that
would provide justice for the family