At least ten people sustained bullet injuries on Monday as participants of a Jirga opened fire at each other in the Jhatta Hathial area within the limits of the Rawat police station.
According to the police, the attendees first engaged in a brawl but took out guns and began firing at each other shortly after. Other than the members of the groups, a passer-by named Shaukat Ali was also injured as a result of the firing, they said.
As per eyewitness accounts, the parties kept firing for an hour and the police maintained their reputation of coming late to the party.
Meanwhile, Rawat police said they have apprehended 12 suspects after the CPO took notice of the firing incident. However, sources claimed the main accused have not been arrested yet.
The police also said the root cause of the firing episode turned out to be a previous clash that erupted after a brawl over not giving way to a vehicle to pass through a street in the village.
However, on Monday, the elders of the area convened a jirga to end the tension between the two groups and make peace. But the jirga turned violent after exchange of harsh words, they added.
The injured were identified as Mudassir, Aamir Ehsan, Imran, Tufail, Akhtar, Rasool Khan, Asif Khan, and Ayat Zaman
Eyewitnesses also said the parties used automatic weapons during the exchange of fire and the people of the area were forced to stay indoors.
They said due to the late arrival of the police, the armed men managed to escape.
A police spokesperson said Saddar SDPO and Saddar SP Muhammad Nabil Khokhar arrived at the spot with a heavy contingent of police and the police collected important evidence from the scene.
Other pieces of evidence including bullet casings have been recovered from the scene while footage of CCTV cameras installed in the area is being obtained, he said. He further added that the statements of all the injured have been recorded. Saddar SP Muhammad Nabil Khokhar said those who take the law into their hands will face the full force of the law.
All the injured have been transferred to the Kallar Syedan Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, he said, adding that the seriously injured will be transferred to the district headquarters hospital.
A case of the incident will be registered soon, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2022.
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