Notice: Articles before August 2021 may be missing images and links will not work, we're sorry for this inconvenience which is a result of a change of webhost after Adobe Business Catalyst terminated their company.
A Young Christian Cattle Farm Worker Brutally Beaten and Shot Dead in Faisalabad
Khalid Masih, a 25-year-old Christian cattle farm worker, was brutally killed while returning home for dinner with his waiting mother. Despite living with a disability, Khalid worked day and night for a meagre salary to support his widowed and paralysed mother. His family alleges that police have failed to arrest two of the four suspects because of alleged bribery and fears that justice will not be served. BACA has visited and financially supported Khalid’s grieving family as they continue to seek justice for his killing.
“For a mother to wait at home for her son to return for dinner, only to discover that he will never walk through her door again, is a heartbreak that words cannot capture. Khalid’s life mattered. His disability did not diminish his dignity, his courage or his value. His family deserves justice, and they deserve to know that they are not standing alone. BACA will continue to stand with them until their voices are heard.” — Juliet Chowdhry, BACA
He Left Home for Work and Never Returned
Khalid Masih, a 25-year-old Christian man from Tariq Pura, Faisalabad, was a cattle farm worker who worked tirelessly to support his widowed mother, Ashraf Bibi, 67.
Khalid lived with the effects of polio, which had affected his right arm and left leg. Despite his disability, he worked at a cattle farm, staying there day and night for a meagre salary so that he could help provide for his mother.
On the evening of 15th July 2026, Khalid finished work and began making his way home, as he did every day.
His mother was waiting for him.
She was expecting her youngest son to return home so they could share a meal together.
But Khalid never arrived.
Ashraf Bibi recalled the devastating night:
“When he did not come home, I went out into the street several times looking for him. I kept hoping I would see him coming home, but eventually I went back inside. I never imagined that he would never return.”
She remembered waiting for her son as the hours passed:
“I remember waiting for him so that we could have dinner together. I was so worried about where he was that I went to bed hungry. I kept thinking he would come through the door, but he never did.”
An image of Khalid Masih RIP
A Mother Waited for Two Days
On 16th July, Ashraf Bibi continued to wait.
From morning until night, she hoped that her son would come home.
He did not.
Around midnight, the family received a call from Madina Town Police Station. Officers informed them that, with the help of Safe City cameras, they had located the body of a young man identified as Khalid Masih.
His body had been taken to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, and the family was asked to come and identify him.
Khalid’s eldest brother, Boota Masih, 42, went to the hospital.
He confirmed that the body was his brother’s.
When Ashraf Bibi heard the news, she became unconscious.
The son she had been waiting for was never coming home.
Allegations of a Brutal Killing
According to the account provided to BACA and the family’s understanding of the CCTV footage, Khalid was walking home on the evening of 15th July along the road near Sahil Marble Factory on Ghoushia Road, Madina Town, Faisalabad.
The family alleges that four young men associated with the factory stopped Khalid and confronted him over an alleged dispute.
According to the family’s account, the men had been drinking alcohol and using drugs. Khalid was allegedly accused of touching their shoulders before a confrontation began.
The family says Khalid was brutally beaten with a metal ice scraper, forced to ingest marble chemicals and shot with a firearm.
His body was subsequently left on the road while the perpetrators allegedly fled.
The following day, police received a wireless call from a man identified as Sikandar Khan, reporting that a dead body was lying on the road.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Tariq Naeem of Madina Town Police Station, accompanied by constables Muhammad Farooq and Abid Hussain, reportedly attended the scene and found Khalid’s body.
Police registered FIR No. 1229/26 under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Madina Town Police Station.
A Family Seeking Justice
Khalid’s family says they have been deeply concerned about the way the investigation has been handled.
According to the family, although an FIR was registered, they believe the police have failed to fully cooperate with them.
The family alleges that four individuals were involved, but only two underage suspects were arrested. They claim the two suspects they consider to be the principal perpetrators remain at large because police officers have allegedly accepted bribes.
These allegations have not been independently established by BACA.
According to the family, the two arrested teenagers appeared before the court and stated that they had been using drugs and had fired the gun, although they said they did not know whether Khalid had been shot.
The family further told BACA that the court ordered police to bring the remaining two accused before the court, but that the two have not yet been arrested.
For Khalid’s family, the failure to see all those they believe responsible brought to justice has added further pain to an already unbearable loss.
They fear that if all the suspects are not arrested and properly investigated, they may never receive justice for Khalid.
Khalid Masih during a happier time.
Help Khalid’s Family Survive and Seek Justice
Khalid’s death has left his family grieving the loss of a beloved son and brother, but it has also placed them under significant financial pressure.
Despite living with the effects of polio, Khalid worked hard to help support his widowed mother. His death has taken away an important source of income for a family that was already living with very limited means.
BACA would like to provide Khalid’s family with £100 per month for one year to help them meet essential living costs as they adjust to life without one of their main breadwinners. This £1,200 of support would help with food, household expenses and other basic necessities during the difficult year ahead.
The family also wants to continue pursuing justice for Khalid. They need the assistance of a solicitor to represent their interests and help them navigate the legal proceedings. We estimate that approximately £2,000 will be required to cover legal representation and associated costs, including travel to and from court.
Together, we hope to raise £3,200 to support Khalid’s family over the coming year and help them pursue justice for his death.
Your donation can help provide a grieving mother with some financial security while also helping the family obtain the legal assistance they need.
Please donate [here] to help Khalid’s family through the year ahead and support their pursuit of justice.
Every contribution, large or small, will help us stand alongside this family at a time of profound loss.
Questions Surrounding Khalid’s Death
The family has also raised serious concerns about the condition of Khalid’s body and the findings contained in the autopsy report.
They say that the injuries they witnessed appeared to include evidence of shooting, burning, stabbing and chemical burns.
Khalid’s brother Nadeem told BACA that the body had suffered extensive damage and alleged that internal organs had been removed.
The family received Khalid’s body from the hospital the following day.
They described the condition of the body as extremely distressing.
For Khalid’s family, these concerns have added to the many unanswered questions surrounding his death. They want the circumstances of his killing, the nature of his injuries and any discrepancies between what they witnessed and the official medical findings to be properly examined.
Above all, the family wants a full and impartial investigation into Khalid’s death and for everyone responsible for his killing to be identified and brought before the courts.
Khalid was just 25 years old. Despite living with a disability, he worked long hours for a modest wage to help support his widowed and paralysed mother. On 15th July, he left work expecting to return home and eat dinner with her. Instead, his mother spent the night waiting for a son who would never return.
His death has deprived a mother not only of her youngest son, but also of an important source of financial support. As the family grieves, they must now contend with financial hardship while pursuing answers and justice through the legal system.
BACA will continue to support Khalid’s family as they seek accountability for his death and attempt to rebuild their lives after this devastating loss.
