POC 18 Saleem Gill Family
The Cafeteria
Our family:
- Saleem Gill – March 17, 1970 – (Father)
- Rubina Rahmat – December 23, 1973 – (Mother)
- Dawood Gill – October 19, 1999 – (Son)
- Salman Saleem – May 29, 2002 – (Son)
- Kinza Saleem – January 14, 2006 – (Daughter)
Arrived as refugees in Bangkok: June 10, 2013
Refugee Status: “Refused” by UNHCR
Details on gaining Refugee Status is here.
Faith, Fear, and Freedom: A Story of Survival Against All Odds
Saleem Gill, a Christian from Lahore, Pakistan, recounts the severe persecution and threats he and his family faced due to their religious beliefs, which ultimately forced them to flee the country. Saleem ran a cafeteria at the prestigious Lahore College of Art and Sciences (LACAS) for over nine years, providing meals to students and staff. However, his life took a drastic turn when Sana Ullah, an Islamic studies teacher and member of Tehreek-e-Labbaik, began targeting him for being a Christian.
In 2013, Sana Ullah and his colleagues, Shoaib Mohammad and Anwar-ul-Haq, accused Saleem of causing illness among students and pressured him to convert to Islam. They discouraged students and staff from eating at his cafeteria, significantly reducing his income. Despite Saleem’s complaints to the school’s CEO, the harassment continued. In April 2013, Sana Ullah and his associates physically assaulted Saleem, falsely accusing him of blasphemy by claiming he had thrown the Quran on the ground. Saleem narrowly escaped the attack with the help of security personnel.
Fearing for his life, Saleem and his family went into hiding, first at his wife’s aunt’s house in Muridke and later with Pastor Zulfiqar in Gojra. In May 2013, Saleem learned that he had been formally charged with blasphemy, and Tehreek-e-Labbaik had organized protests against him, putting his life in grave danger.
With the help of Pastor Zulfiqar, Saleem fled to Thailand on June 9, 2013, seeking safety and international protection. His wife and children followed in February 2014, leaving behind their home and livelihood in Pakistan to escape the ongoing persecution and threats they faced as Christians.
More information…
Saleem Gill — Detailed Statement
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First published: 2025/08/01/
Latest revision: 2025/09/15/