Protesters shout slogans as they block Murree road following clashes in Bara Market. PHOTO: ONLINE
ABBOTABAD: A man was killed and eight others were injured when a petty dispute paved way for a clash between two groups in Jhugiyan Bazaar on Murree Road Wednesday afternoon.
It all started when Pakistan Peoples Party district council candidate Waseem Khan Jadoon parked his vehicle in front of a fabric shop owned by Yaqub, an Afghan citizen.
As the two scuffled over the issue, other Afghan shopkeepers in the market shut their shops down. Locals from Sheikhul Bandi village also gathered; the dispute led to a full-scale armed brawl that left two people injured.
The shopkeepers vandalised Jadoon’s vehicle and five other cars parked nearby. They blocked the road near Jhugiyan Bridge. Meanwhile, local villagers obstructed Murree Road near Bijli Ghar, forcing oncoming traffic to reroute to Nariyan and other link roads.
A contingent of Elite Force officials reached the site to disperse protesters. Failing to do so, they resorted to tear gas and even opened fire which injured an additional seven people.
All the injured were rushed to Shaheed Benazir Hospital, where one identified as Naeem, the son of Yaqub, succumbed to his wounds.
According to MS Dr Minhajul Haq, the rest of those who sustained wounds were in stable condition. The injured were identified as Ali Gohar, Zulqarnain, Shehzad Kiyani, Faisal, Naeem son of Abdul Rehman, Zakaullah, Fahad and Chaudhary Amjad.
When approached for a comment over the telephone, Hazara DIG Akhtar Hayat Gandapur confirmed the incident and said he was in a meeting in Peshawar. “Contact the Abbottabad DPO for more information,” he said. The DPO could not be reached despite multiple attempts.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2015.
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