Rawalpindi man killed in row over prayer rug

Incident started after motorcyclist drove over prayer rugs placed in middle of major thoroughfare

RAWALPINDI: A man was killed after a motorcyclist ran over prayer rugs placed in the middle of Bank Road in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

At an iftar party organised by the traders union of Singapore Plaza in

Saddar, police and eyewitnesses said iftar items were being served among the traders on when a man identified as Tanveer ran his motorcycle over the prayer rugs.

This infuriated one of the organisers, Sheikh Imran, and an exchange of harsh words occurred between the two men. Others managed to intervene and calm the two men down.

Tanveer later returned with 20 to 25 men equipped with rods and clubs and attacked Sheikh Imran and his companions. The clash, police said, left several people injured.



Subsequently, Imran took out his pistol and fired a bullet in the air that came back to hit a man in the neck, killing him on the spot. Imran managed to escape from the scene.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Cannt Circle Raja Taifoor confirmed the incident, saying a case was registered against Imran at Cantt Police Station on the complaint of the deceased's brother.

Separately, a man was shot dead while five others were injured over a land dispute at Dhoke Badhal in the Jatli area.



Gulfraz and Jabir drove his tractor to plough a piece of land when another man identified as Ashfaq attempted to stop him from doing so. After failing, Ashfaq and his accomplice Aftab opened indiscriminate fire, killing Jabir on the spot and injuring five others. The accused managed to flee from the scene after the incident.

The body and the injured were shifted to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Gujar Khan. Police have registered a murder case and begun investigation.