Out of rage: Minor feud results in tragedy for one family in Peshawar

Man kills three from the same family after a brawl over parking

PESHAWAR: What started as a feud over a parking spot resulted in tragedy for one family in one of Peshawar’s suburbs. And appears the wheels of justice are grinding slowly for the family of Waseem, Waqas, and Siddique, who were mercilessly shot by Ishaq and his sons Noman, Salman, and Kamran in Dheri Baghbanan area. Mourning and waiting for justice, the father of the victims said: “Our family is suffering. I have no one other than God to take care of us.”

There was a heart-wrenching plea for justice from the slain men’s family, as they held up photographs of their loved ones, who looked happy just weeks before the tragic killing. According to the police records, the accused and his sons escaped the scene, and an operation to arrest them was still underway. “ The main accused and his sons are still missing,” said one senior investigation officer. “We have made several arrests since the killings on January 14,” he added.

Eyewitnesses present at the time of the killings said: “They stoned one of the brothers to death while he was still alive after the shooting.” Another witness confirmed Ishaq, who is also known as Mamota, along with his sons, after firing a volley of bullets at each one of them, not only stoned them to death but also prevented others from helping the victims. “He threatened everyone who wanted to help the victims,” said one witness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), people use guns more commonly to settle scores. And minor differences are settled more often with guns than words. Owning firearms is an essential part of the culture across much of the province. Commenting on the incident that had jolted everyone in the Gulberg neighborhood and where the victims had lived with their father, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Zahoor Babar Afridi said, “We are chasing the accused and we will bring them to justice.” But nothing brings peace for Muhammad Aslam, who lost three sons almost two months ago on a cold January afternoon. For their family, there is no healing. Recalling the funerals, Aslam said, “Sorrow and grief enveloped their entire tight-knit neighborhood. “Since the brutal murder, the case has made waves across various social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. On the other hand, human rights activists have decided to raise the matter with the Ministry of Human Rights.” We will raise the case with the ministry and at every platform,” said K-P Chairperson Shahnam Khan, who pointed out that several similar cases had surfaced in the last few months. Last year, Kashif, Sajjad, and Shabbir received a volley of bullets, only because they asked an influential landlord in Charsadda to transfer the ownership of the land they had purchased from him. The wheels of justice roll slowly against the influential but they grind exceedingly well when they do. The police managed to arrest the accused in the Charsadda case. For Muhammad Aslam, losing three sons was not easy but he still has hope that the killers will face punishment.” All I want from the authorities is that they arrest the killers of my sons. They have destroyed our family,” pleaded the grieving father.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2020.