A SOCIAL worker and community volunteer has been left in a critical condition after being beaten around the head with a baseball bat during a holiday in Pakistan.

Mohsin Ilyas, 29, was with his father Mohammad in the village of Kallar Syedan when the attack happened, his family said.

Shortly after leaving the family home in the village, the pair were approached by people in two cars who forced them to stop and started attacking them.

Mohsin, from Nelson, used his own body to shield his father and as a result suffered a fractured skull and cracked cheekbone and needed 28 stitches in head wounds.

It is believed the attack may be connected to the arranged marriages and divorces of two of his sisters.

Mohsin is now in hospital in Islamabad, which is around an hour from the village, and is awaiting the result of a CT scan to assess the extent of his head injuries.

His family have launched a campaign to bring the attackers to justice and are attempting to get him home as soon as possible.

Mohsin, who is well known for his volunteer work in Nelson, is one of eight siblings living in the Bentley Street area of the town, and his parents, Mohammad and mother Ghulan Sughra, moved to the area from Pakistan more than 40 years ago.

One of his sisters, Rehana Ilyas, said: “His face was covered in blood. It is absolutely awful to see your brother like that.

“He is a respected member of the community. He is a social worker and the amount of volunteer work he does is amazing.

“He is in danger while he is in Pakistan and we need to get him home.”

Yesterday the family gathered at the Clayton Street Mosque, in Nelson, along with those attending Friday prayers, to appeal for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and for Mohsin to be brought home.

The Immam at the mosque, Khalid Mehmood, said: “I was shocked to hear what had happened to Mohsin. I know him well.”

The family have contacted Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson for his assistance.

He said: “This is an horrific attack in Pakistan. We were made aware of what had happened within a matter of hours. We have relayed the information to the British High Commissioner in Islamabad who is providing consular assistance, and hopefully Mr Ilyas will be able to return to the UK as soon as possible.”