FIR registered in Lahore airport shooting

Brother of slain PPP leader nominated in case

LAHORE: A case under terrorism, murder and other offences has been registered at Sarwar Road Police Station against the firing incident at the Allama Iqbal International Airport. Two people were killed and three injured during the brazen attack at a public facility.

The case was registered on the complaint of Muhammad Hafeez, the uncle of deceased Zain Ali.

The brother of slain former PPP Lahore General Secretary Babar Butt has also been nominated in the case.

The accused included Arshad Ali, Muhammad Shan, Ammar Butt, Ali Jutt, Qaiser Butt, Sajjad Jutt and two unidentified suspects. The complainant said he and other family members were present at the airport to receive their nephew Zain Ali who was returning from Umrah.

At the time of the murder, the arrival lounge of the airport was bustling with passengers. Meanwhile, Arshad Ali, Muhammad Shan, Ammar Butt, Ali Ejaz and others arrived.

According to the complaint, when the suspects got a sight of Zain, one of the gunmen, Ali Ejaz, yelled out that he would not survive this day. That was when Shan opened indiscriminate fire. The bullets hit Zain in the abdomen and chest, while Arshad Siddique also opened fire, striking the victim in the neck and arms. When Zain fell to the ground, Arshad Ali shot him dead with a bullet to the head.

The bullets fired by Ammar hit a driver named Muhammad Akram, while three passersby, Saifullah, Chaudhry Faraz and Shabbir Gill, were also injured in the incident. Qaiser and Sajjad had been threatening to kill Zain in revenge for the murder of their brothers.

Hafeez said when he was was leaving for the airport, he met a man named Moazzam Ali on the way. Moazzam informed Hafeez that Israr Butt, Sajjad Butt and others had decided to murder Zain at the airport.

10 armed men arrested from ATC

Meanwhile, the Civil Lines Police arrested ten armed men trying to enter the Anti-Terrorism Court. Police also recovered ammunition from their possession.

A year ago, Maqsood Butt had murdered a rice-seller after an altercation over the failure to pay for a plate of rice in Rang Mahal. Later on, the family of the victim killed Maqsood Butt in Bhatti Gate. Proceedings of this case were ongoing in the court when Shahid, Waleed and other accused persons tried to enter and avenge the death of their loved one. Reportedly, Civil Lines police moved on the tip of special branch and arrested the suspects. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2019.