A Pakistani Christian man was shot dead while on his way to attend an annual Christian festival in the early hours of Sunday 7 September.
Afzal Masih, 46 years old, was travelling with a group of a dozen Christians in a hired van from Lahore to the festival in Mariamabad, around 60 miles away, when the group came under fire. The shooter was later identified as Muhammad Waqas.
Afzal leaves behind his wife, aged 40, and four sons. Barnabas Aid partners are supporting the grieving family with their immediate needs
Afzal Masih’s widow and two of his sons visited by Barnabas partners after his death
The attack took place at around 1am when the group stopped at a repair shop in Farooqabad for the van to have its tyres filled with air and the driver asked passengers to leave the vehicle.
A few minutes later the gunman appeared with another rider on a motorcycle with an automatic Kalashnikov and opened fire before the pair made their escape.
Afzal was shot dead on the spot. Haris Tariq Masih, Afzal’s cousin, was shot in the shoulder, but he survived.
Afzal’s funeral took place later that day, as is the practice in Pakistan, after the post-mortem had been completed.
Eyewitnesses reported that Afzal was targeted because he had protested at harassment by motorcyclists blocking the road.
According to Barnabas sources, the witnesses told police that they could identify the killer if they saw him again.
They had also seen the shooter taking the attendant of the tyre shop away with him on the bike at gunpoint. After some time, the suspect returned on the bike and dropped off the tyre workshop attendant and left.
The police ordered the tyre workshop attendant to lead them to the house of the suspected killer. Police raided the suspect’s house, but he had escaped to an unknown location. However, police were able to identify him. The police added Waqas’s name to their First Information Report and released a file photo of him.
How you can pray
Pray that Afzal’s family will receive both spiritual comfort and practical aid in abundance as they grieve the loss of a beloved husband, father and breadwinner. Pray also for the continued recovery of Haris. Ask that justice will be served and the perpetrator held to account, to serve as a deterrent against attacks on Christians and other minorities in Pakistan.
