Three traders injured in firing, police stays in spectator mode

Possession of controversial shop was the bone of contention between the shopkeepers and the owner of the shop.

ISLAMABAD:

Three men including two brothers were injured in firing at New Aabpara Market in G-6/1-4 on Friday. Eyewitnesses said a police patrol was present when the assailants arrived at the scene and shot brothers Muhammad Waqas and Muhammad Yasir along with Muhammad Tassaduq.

The three were taken to Polyclinic Hospital where they were provided emergency treatment, police said. Doctors described their condition to be stable.

According to initial investigations, possession of a controversial shop was the bone of contention between the shopkeepers of the market and the owner of the shop.

Witnesses said some six men in a Suzuki Mehran arrived at the market on Friday afternoon and started arguing with the shopkeepers. “The shopkeepers were unwilling to hand over the shop as they had obtained a stay order from the court,” an eyewitness said.

He added that a police patrol from Rescue 15 was present there at the time. “They started a debate with the shopkeepers in front of the police and then shot the victims,” said a man who had witnessed the daylight firing incident.

Bystanders ran for shelter as the shooters made for the Mehran. “They fired in the direction of the police van to threaten them, and then they drove away,” the eyewitness told The Express Tribune.

He added that the assailants declared that no one could stop them from taking possession of the shop, which has been erected in place of toilets for the market, in violation of the rules.

“The shop was built in the dark of night and sold to some one for over Rs5 million. However, the shopkeepers obtained a stay order from the court on the plea that it was illegally built and deprived the market of toilets,” said another eyewitness.

The witnesses said the shooters were not known to the local people, however, they suspected them to be hired guns sent by the man who had bought the controversial shop.

Later, the traders of New Aabpara Market closed down the market and gathered at the main Aabpara Chowk to protest the shooting incident in the presence of police. Traffic on the main Aabpara road remained suspended for over an hour and efforts of Assistant Commissioner and other ICT administration officials failed to bring the traders to the negotiation table before night.

The Aabpara police were recording the statements of the injured when this report was filed and a case was yet to be registered.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.