Faisalabad: A Christian young man aged 19 yrs brutally shot to death by an insolent Muslim man in Faisalabad.Enraged by a minor contact with his motorbike, the murderer pulled out his gun and shot the Christian man, leading to his death. The widowed mother cries for justice and seeks help from the British Asian Christian Association

On 6th May 2025, a senseless act of violence stole the life of 19-year-old Gulfam Masih, a young Christian man from Faisalabad, Pakistan. While returning home with a friend around 4:00 PM, Gulfam’s motorbike lightly brushed against an oncoming bike near a local garment factory. The rider of the other bike, Rana Ijaz (aka Jaji), flew into a rage over the minor contact and resorted to brutal violence.

Despite Gulfam and his friend trying to flee the scene, Ijaz pulled out a gun and shot Gulfam in the back of the neck. The bullet tore through his skull, exiting from his forehead. He collapsed immediately—lifeless—on the road.

Bystanders quickly informed the family. Overcome with panic and grief, they rushed to the scene. Gulfam’s mother, Kishwar Bibi, found her son lying motionless. Desperate to save him, they flagged down a passing van and transported him to Allied Hospital Faisalabad. But it was too late. Doctors confirmed that Gulfam had died instantly from the gunshot wound.

The next day, Gulfam was buried in a local Christian graveyard, with hundreds mourning the senseless murder of an innocent young man.

Police responded promptly. CCTV footage from a nearby factory helped identify the perpetrator, and a First Information Report (FIR No. 2939/25) was registered under sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Rana Ijaz was arrested and is currently on judicial remand at District Jail Faisalabad.

On 10th May, a British Asian Christian Association (BACA) team visited the grieving family. We prayed with Kishwar Bibi and offered both legal support and emergency financial aid.

“My innocent son had no enmity with anyone, and he was the only breadwinner for me. I don’t know how I will survive without him. I survived the death of my husband only because I had a son, but now the merciless murder has taken him from me too.”

Since her husband Imran Masih died of COVID-19 in 2019, Gulfam had supported his mother by working as a painter on daily wages. Kishwar herself works as a cleaner for a Muslim family, earning just 7,000 rupees (£20) a month. The small income from mother and son was barely enough to survive.

Now, left alone and in despair, Kishwar seeks justice for her son—and she seeks our help.

Devastated by the loss of her only son, Kishwar Bibi appeals for justice amidst fears that Pakistan’s legal system will once again fail a Christian victim.

BACA is committed to supporting the Masih family through legal representation and financial aid, but we need your help to do more. We call upon our supporters to stand with us as we fight this injustice and provide comfort to a broken-hearted mother

“The brutal and senseless killing of Gulfam Masih over a minor road incident reveals the deep-rooted intolerance towards Christians in Pakistan. No mother should have to bury her son under such tragic circumstances, and yet time and time again, we see innocent lives lost without consequence.

We are deeply concerned that justice for Gulfam may be undermined by the misuse of Qisas and Diyat laws, which allow perpetrators to negotiate their way out of punishment through blood money or pressure on victims’ families. These laws, while framed as Islamic principles of reconciliation, are often weaponised against poor and vulnerable Christians who cannot afford legal representation or resist coercion.

Pakistan’s courts have repeatedly failed to deliver justice for Christian victims of violence, and families like Gulfam’s face an uphill struggle even to get police investigations launched in earnest.

At the British Asian Christian Association, we are standing with Kishwar Bibi and her family. We will not allow Gulfam’s death to be swept under the rug. His life mattered, and we will fight for justice—not only for him but for all Christians who suffer in silence.”

— Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee, British Asian Christian Association