Three shot dead over land dispute

Caretaker CM has sought report of violent incident

GUJRANWALA:

The joyous atmosphere of Eid was marred by tragic events that unfolded in separate incidents, resulting in the loss of four lives in Gujranwala.

In Brij Tasha village, a suburb of Alipur Chatta, a land dispute escalated into a deadly confrontation, claiming the lives of a father, son, and nephew.

The victims, identified as Munawar, Iftikhar, and Saad Iftikhar, were shot and killed by the accused, Nauman alias Haider, during an ongoing dispute over land.

Saad, who had recently cleared the CSS exam, courageously tried to save his family members but also fell victim to the assailants' gunfire. Preliminary investigations suggest a long-standing feud between the accused and the victims, with a previous history of violence in Nauman's past.

The caretaker Punjab chief minister has ordered a report of the incident, urging swift action by the police to apprehend the accused.

In another incident in the Tatle Police Station area, a dispute over a loan repayment turned fatal. Allah Rakha, a 26-year-old man, was shot and killed by his uncle, Qasim, over a disagreement regarding a Rs5,000 loan.

The incident occurred while they were en route to the market with Zaman. Following the shooting, the victim's body was abandoned at their doorstep. The mother of the deceased filed a complaint, leading to the registration of a case, and an investigation is currently underway.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2023.