Lawyer, wife among three killed in capital clash

Police waiting for relatives to lodge complaint as questions remain on who killed neighbour

ISLAMABAD: In one of the deadliest confrontations among residents of the capital, at least three people were gunned down after two neighbours clashed in the Malpur village on Sunday.

While the two rivals had had a land dispute in the past, Sunday’s clash was triggered after the lawyer’s goat strayed into his neighbour’s field to graze. The victims were identified as 38-year-old advocate Aleem Turabi, his 35-year-old wife Noor Asmeena, and their neighbour, 55-year-old Maskeen. All three were killed on the spot.

However, the police only found out about the incident when the bodies were brought to the Polyclinic hospital in the capital.

Turabi, who hailed from North Waziristan, used to study law at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) and practised law in Islamabad. A few years ago, he had purchased a small piece of land in the Malpur area from a local, Maskeen. Used to a more rural setting, Turabi lived there with his two wives and 14 children.

Ever since he bought the land, Turabi and Maskeen — who lived on adjoining properties — were embroiled in a dispute over a section of land.

At around 10am on Monday, Turabi’s goat managed to get away from the house and strayed into Maskeen’s land for grazing.

To stop the goat from grazing in his field, Maskeen’s 23-year-old son Zeeshan allegedly beat and injured the goat. When one of Turabi’s wives found out that their goat had been injured, she started cursing her neighbours in colourful Pashto.

Turabi’s children told the police that the two families subsequently started exchanging heated words.

Turabi, who was sleeping until then, woke up to the commotion. Fearing the worst, he grabbed his pistol and run out.

By this time, his neighbours too had armed themselves with guns, clubs and axes.

What happened next is not clear yet. What is clear is that bullets, axes and clubs went flying.

One police official said one of Maskeen’s brothers attacked Turabi with an axe. Maskeen’s son Zeeshan jumped over the wall to join the melee and opened fire at Turabi. An initial medical examination discovered that Turabi was shot from a 9mm pistol and from a 12-bore shotgun.

The clash also claimed the life of Turabi’s wife.  Maskeen too did not escape unscathed. Doctors said that he was fatally shot, but it was not immediately clear who shot him.

While police say Turabi had fired his pistol on Sunday, his children maintain that Maskeen was killed by a bullet fired by Zeeshan.

However, police have to yet officially solve the riddle of which bullet killed Maskeen.  Turabi and his wife’s bodies were taken to the Polyclinic hospital by their children.

Zeeshan, who received a bullet wound in his leg, was discharged after treatment. As soon as doctors said he could go, the police took him into custody.

A post-mortem of the three bodies was conducted at the Polyclinic hospital, following which the bodies were handed over to their relatives.

Despite arresting a suspect, the police have yet to register a First Information Report in the case since no one had submitted an official complaint by Sunday evening.

“We have received no complaint yet from any side. Doctors will tell which bullet killed Maskeen,” said homicide investigator inspector Arshad.

“There was a crossfire. We are investigating the details of the case,” said ASP Zohaib Ranjha, at the Secretariat police station.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2017.