Dr Zohaib Arshad, a 39-year-old Falkirk takeaway owner and former vet, says he was racially abused and then assaulted on Grahams Road on 20 July, sustaining head injuries. Police Scotland are treating the incident as a possible hate crime and inquiries are ongoing. After being told A&E wait times could be lengthy, Dr Arshad used glue-type dressings provided by medical friends to close the wound. He says his family are frightened but he does not plan to leave Scotland.
Falkirk Takeaway Owner Says He Was Racially Abused Then Violently Attacked on Grahams Road
Dr Zohaib Arshad was attacked in the street in Falkirk [BBC]
A Falkirk takeaway owner, Dr Zohaib Arshad, says he was subjected to racist taunts before being physically assaulted on Grahams Road on the evening of Monday 20 July. The 39-year-old said the group asked him, “When are you leaving the country?” before punching him and forcing his head into a wall.
Attack Details
Dr Arshad, who previously practised as a veterinarian in Pakistan, says two or three men confronted him while he was visiting one of his takeaway shops. He attempted to walk away, but one attacker struck his head against a wall and another punched him several times. He also reports being threatened with a knife during the incident.
"I had blood all over my face and in my eyes... when I was cleaning up the blood from my eyes one of the guys punched me on my head a few times," Dr Arshad said.
Police, Medical Response and Aftermath
Police Scotland is treating the assault as a possible hate crime and told the BBC that inquiries remain ongoing. Dr Arshad says officers took about 45 minutes to arrive and the suspects had already left. He adds that when he called for an ambulance he was told to make his own way to A&E, where he was reportedly told there could be a long wait for stitches.
Dr Zohaib Arshad, pictured with Martyn Day MSP, is a member of the SNP [BBC]
Worried about scarring, Dr Arshad contacted medical friends and used glue-type wound dressings to close the injury in the back of his shop rather than wait many hours. He and his family say they are now frightened: his nine-year-old son asked whether he could be attacked at school.
Political Profile and Public Reaction
Dr Arshad stood as an Alba Party candidate in Falkirk at the 2024 general election and is now a member of the SNP. He believes his political connections helped bring attention to the attack in the Scottish Parliament and fears the incident may have been overlooked otherwise. He has said he does not intend to leave Scotland despite pressure from family to move abroad.
Wider Context
The assault comes during heightened tensions in Scotland over immigration. In related incidents in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games, police made arrests after demonstrators allegedly targeted people because of their skin colour and objects were thrown at delivery drivers. Police Scotland said it was investigating those scenes as well.
Inquiries remain ongoing.
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