Two passers-by killed in rival groups’ clash

Over a dozen attackers on motorcycles opened fire at Cinema Chowk, killing two passers-by and injuring two men over enmity.

Panic spread in the area after the firing incident.

The inspector general of police took notice of the incident and ordered senior officers to reach the spot and arrest the attackers.

The police shifted the bodies to hospital for postmortem and registered a case against 13 people. They also took several people into custody for interrogation about the incident.

According to local sources, Danu Kumhar, a resident of Islampura who runs a butcher shop, and Danish, a resident of Rashid Park near Gulistan Cinema Chowk on Jaranwala Road had been embroiled in a dispute for the past two months.

A few days ago, members of the Danu Kumhar group had shot and injured a young man on Gulistan Cinema Road. The case was registered against 10 people in City Police Station.

The suspects from the group who had been nominated in the case were on interim bail.

Last night, armed men of the Danu group, identified by the complainant as Sajid alias Saju, Jahanzeb alias Kaka, Waseem alias Chimmi, Shani Khan, Abu Bakar Mohal, Iqbal alias Bali, Hamza, Asad, Adnan alias Dani, Zain Shah, Samar Malik, Shakeel Niazi and Faisal alias Faisali allegedly opened indiscriminate fire at Danish's brother on the Gulistan Cinema Road.

He escaped unhurt but two passers-by, 30-year-old Ahmad Sajjani alias Shani Butt, resident of Dunface View and 28-year-old Usman Habib alias Shani of Jamia Masjid Bazaar, were killed in the firing. Atif, aged 25, and Rauf were injured.

The news of the incident spread like wildfire in the city and the atmosphere of the entire city became mournful.

SP Irtaza Kamil, DSP Iftikhar Waria and City Police Station SHO Rana Umar Daraz reached the spot along with a heavy contingent of police. The police carried out raids and detained several people for questioning about the attack.

IG Faisal Shahkar took notice on the incident of double murder and sought a report from Faisalabad Regional Police Officer (RPO) Moin Masood on the incident. He ordered arrest of the attackers and initiation of legal action against them.

The police registered the case and started efforts to arrest the killers.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2022.