An official with the Church of Pakistan confirmed that Christian couple, Sheathed, 35, and Shamah Masih, 31, were brutally killed for allegedly desecrating the Quran in Pakistan.
The official said the Christian couple was beaten and burned alive over a false accusation made by their employer who claimed they ripped pages out of a Quran and threw them into a brick kiln furnace.
Raheel Sharoon, development officer of the Diocese of Raiwind, said that Shehzad Masih and his wife were beaten in the streets by a Muslim mob of 1,500 to 1,600, adding that the crowd tore off their clothes and beat them before throwing them into a furnace.
Shroon noted that they were killed because their employer said they owed him money, and he started the rumor to exact revenge.
"The real story is that the owner of brick kiln, Yousaf Gujjar, lent the couple money and when he asked for the money to be returned there was a confrontation since a majority of brick kiln workers cannot return their loans in cash, but do it by working at the brick kiln," Sharoon said.
"After this incident, he started spreading rumors of desecration of the Quran."
In the same context, the Christian Post reported that the rumor had been started by the owner of the brick kiln who was retaliating against the couple over a financial disagreement.
Meanwhile, relatives said the couple not only left behind three children, but Shamah was expecting a fourth child when they were killed.
Open Doors USA, a Christian persecution watchdog group, listed Pakistan as No. 8 on its list of worst persecutors of Christians list. Last year, they were ranked at No. 14.
"The notorious blasphemy laws continue to have devastating consequences for minorities, including Christians. Women and girls from minority groups are particularly vulnerable, and sexual assaults against underage Christian girls by Muslim men continue to be reported," stated Open Doors.