‘Old enmity’ claims four lives

Killing of two persons four months ago was said to be also result of same enmity

KURIANWALA:

Four people were killed in a suburban village when unidentified accused riding in a car opened fire on them and escaped.

Police identified the victims as Dildar, 40, Khalid, 24, Rana Shakeel, 35, and Qamar Bhatti, 30.

They had been relaxing outside the Madina Estate Agency near Sheikhupura Road when they came under attack from a white car.

Dildar and Khalid died on the spot.

Rescue 1122 personnel shifted Shakeel Ahmed and Qamar Bhatti to a hospital in critical condition where they died after a life-and-death struggle.

According to the police, the victims were killed due to an old enmity. Regional Police Officer Imran Mehmood sought a report from the CPO on the killing of four people.

Rescue 1122 personnel shifted Shakeel Ahmed and Qamar Bhatti to hospital in a critical condition where they died after a life-and-death struggle.

Upon receiving the information about the incident, the DSP and the SHO of Kharrianwala, Usman Warraich and Roy Arshad respectively, arrived at the crime scene.

They supervised the shifting of the victims to the hospital.

SHO Roy Arshad reiterated the assertion that the victims had had an enmity with the “Lona Group”. The killing of two people four months ago in Juranwala Kachhari was also a result of the same enmity, he said.

Taking note of the killing of four people, RPO Imran Mehmood sought a report from CPO Ghulam Mubashir Mekan and ordered immediate arrest of the accused.

Incidents of murder over old enmities are not uncommon across the province. In May last year, at least three people were killed in Dijkot in separate incidents that allegedly occurred due to old enmities.

Police took the bodies into custody and handed them over to the heirs after postmortem.

After registering cases, the police started raids to arrest the nominated suspects.

According to the police, 40-year-old Atif Saeed was severely injured when suspects including Jawad Naseer and Badar Bhola opened fire on him to avenge a children's quarrel. He was rushed to the Allied Hospital for treatment where he died.

Razaabad police handed over the body to the heirs after postmortem.

They have also registered a case against the suspects and started searching for them.

Separately, Ali Ejaz, 32, a resident of Mian Colony, who had gone to a paan shop in Waris Pura area near Mathaiwala Chowk in Batala Colony, was allegedly shot in the leg by his opponents Faisal and others who were on motorcycles. He died due to excessive bleeding after arrival at a hospital. According to Batala Colony SHO Sufyan Butter, the victim had shot dead Faisal's brother some time back.

The case was registered against Ali Ijaz, his brother Wasim alias Poli, Shakeel Ijaz and others. Despite reconciliation, the statements of witnesses were to be recorded and one of the victim's brothers was still in jail when his opponents shot and killed him.

Meanwhile, 36-year-old landowner Ghulam Hussain was busy irrigating the fields at Jhang Road Chak No. 274 when his opponents, including Usman, attacked him with sticks. He died on the spot due to a severe head injury.

In a yet separate case, police registered a case against 10 suspects under four sections including murder after the killing of a man and his son due to an old enmity in Khurrianwala. Police also launched raids to arrest the nominated suspects.

The bodies of the man and his son who were shot dead on Jaranwala Road were handed over to the heirs after postmortem.

On April 9 last year, four people were killed and three others injured in an ambush on Sandral Road, Khushab, over an enmity. Raja Mohammad Yaqoob, a resident of Jhangian, Mohammad Tahir of Dhak, Mohammad Naveed of Bhalwal and Nasr Iqbal of Machhi area were killed in the attack.

Reportedly, the deceased Raja Yaqoob and seven others, including the driver of the car, were going from Jhangian to Joharabad when a group of assailants opened fire on them on Sandral Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2022.