Children’s fight spirals into bloodbath

Three brothers killed in fight between two groups of relatives

SARGODHA:

Three brothers were shot dead in Hathi Wind area of Bhera Tehsil of Sargodha on Thursday night, police said.

It was a result of an unfortunate fight between two groups of people who happened to be close relations.

Ironically, what triggered the conflagration was a minor dispute among the children of the two families which ended up in bloodshed, leaving three brothers dead at the hands of none other than their own kin.

At around 6pm on the day of the incident, children’s of Asad Ranjha and Muhammad Nawaz had been playing outside their houses as they did almost every day. Children being children, they got embroiled in a petty issue.

Ranjha’s children complained to his father about the matter, and the latter went to the house of Muhammad Nawaz to lodge a protest with him over the behavior of his children.

Obviously, Nawaz was not prepared that his children should be blamed for what had happened. Ranjha and Nawaz had had a heated argument which ultimately turned into a fistfight.

Ranjha left Nawaz's house in a state of rage and vowed to avenge his “disgrace”.

Returning to his home, Asad Ranjha allegedly summoned his friends and relatives, had himself armed and went to the house of Nawaz and others.

According to police sources, the armed suspects reached Muhammad Nawaz's house at around 10pm. Nawaz, along with his father, brothers and some other relatives, had been sitting outside his house.

As soon as Ranjha arrived at the scene with his comrades, he started beating Nawaz and others. When Nawaz’s father Bati Khan and others tried to intervene in the matter, Asad allegedly opened fire, hitting Muhammad Nawaz in the neck, killing him on the spot.

One of Ranjha’s accomplices, Amanullah also allegedly opened fire on Nawaz's brother Shahid Imran, killing him on the spot as well.

Nawaz's third brother Muhammad Aslam was allegedly shot dead by accused Muhammad Naeem.

Zafar Iqbal, Nawaz's fourth brother, got shot in the knee. Muhammad Mansha was also seriously injured in the firing by other associates of Nawaz.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2022.