Gujrat gunfight leaves five dead

Clash linked to case registered in Hafizabad over monetary dispute

GUJRAT:

At least five people, including two brothers, were killed and three others injured in firing between two groups in Gujrat over a dispute.

The clash took place between the Haji Fazl and Nasir Mehr groups in the Triwanwala village.

Supporters of both groups opened fire at each other after a bitter altercation, killing 53-year-old Muhammad Nawaz and 35-year-old Ashfaq of the Fazl group and 40-year-old Nasir, 30-year-old Saddam Butt and 40-year-old Sajjad Mitthu of the Mehr group.

Haji Fazl, Ehsan and Faisal were injured in the crossfire. They were shifted to a hospital.

Dinga Police Station SHO Mujahid Abbas told The Express Tribune that there was a dispute between the two groups over an amount of Rs250,000.

Nasir Mehr had arrived along with his supporters Saddam Butt and Asjad Shehzad at Haji Fazl’s home in the evening to receive the money.

A heated argument took place between the two groups, after which supporters of the Fazl got angry and opened fire.

Men of Mehr group also opened fire, as a result of which Asjad Shahzad alias Mithu Butt, Saddam Butt and Nasir Mehr were killed along ng with Muhammad Nawaz and Ashfaq of Fazl group.

The bodies were handed over to heirs after post-mortem and cases were registered against 10 nominated suspects from the Fazl group, including Fazl Hussain, Ehsan, Mohsin, Afzal, Riyaz, Bashir Ahmad, Pathana, Fazal, Zakir Hussain and Faisal on the complaint of Adnan Asghar of the Mehr group.

A counter report was filed against 10 supporters of the Mehr group on the complaint of the Fazl group.

Police said they were carrying out raids to arrest the suspects.

According to the SHO, Sajjad and Saddam Butt were real brothers. Sajjad had one child, Saddam was also the father of a girl and Nasir Mehr had three children.

He said a case had earlier been registered against the Mehr group in Hafizabad district over a financial dispute.

None of the suspects nominated in the case had been arrested by Thursday evening.

However, the injured said Fazl himself had not part in the monetary dispute.

According to sources, the dispute over a transaction had started some time ago, when an FIR had been lodged against the Nasir in Hafizabad.

The deceased Nasir Mehr used to run a rent-a-car business in Dinga. After registering a case against Nasir, Hafizabad police had asked Dinga police officer Tanveer Asghar to help and to arrest him.

The Dinga police had taken Nasir to the police station.

Hafizabad police had arrested him and taken him from the police station to Hafizabad.

Local sources said the deceased had been kept in Hafizabad without being arrested for several days.

Nasir Mehr suspected that a policeman posted in Dinga and a resident of Triwanwala, had an role in his capture.

After his release from Hafizabad, Nasir Mehr along with his armed supporters went to the leader of the Chichi community, Haji Fazl, as the policeman he suspected belonged to his community.

He went to the Dera of Fazl and demanded his money allegedly paid for his release.

The sources said armed men were already present at the spot and when Nasir demanded the payment due to the complainant in Hafizabad, the Fazl group became agitated.

The altercation resulted in firing between the two groups.

According to the police, pistols found near the bodies, which had been taken into custody. They said it was likely that both groups had been prepared of the clash.

The local sources said that Tanvir, the official of Dinga police who played a role in the capture of Nasir had been appointed as the investigation officer of the case.

The deceased were buried in local graveyards.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2023.