Armed attacks leave two dead

A series of shootings were reported across the Faisalabad district on Sunday, leaving two people killed and another injured. Investigations are underway into all three incidents.

In the first incident, three suspects shot and injured a landlord when he resisted a robbery in Buchiana. Villagers managed to catch and restrain the three robbers, allegedly tortured them and then handed them over to the police.

The three suspects allegedly stole a motorcycle from a constable on duty within the limits of Sadar Nankana Sahib Police Station. After reaching the limits of Buchiana police station, they stopped local landowner Muhammad Akbar near Chak No.563 GB and held him up. Resisting the bid, Akbar physically grabbed one of the suspects, but his accomplices allegedly shot and injured the landlord.

Hearing the sound of the gunfire, villagers working in the fields surrounded the bandits and restrained them. At the same time, personnel from both Nankana Saddar Police Station and Buchiana police station reached the scene upon receiving information about the incident. The villagers handed over the three suspects to Buchiana Police, but Nankana Sadar police wanted to take the suspects into custody, due to which a conflict between the two police teams took place.

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Nankana police then took the three suspects in a mobile van, triggering strong protest from the villagers strongly protested, who demanded they hand over the suspects to Buchiana police. They also stopped the police mobile on Bachiana Nankana Road and demanded the handover of the suspects, upon which Nankana Saddar police handed over one suspect to the Buchiana police and arrested the two others as compromise. The road remained blocked for about half an hour due to the crowd of villagers.

The ages of the three arrested suspects varied between 10 and 15 years and they were boldly armed and engaged in daylight robberies despite their youth. They were caught by the villagers, who handed them over to the police after allegedly torturing them.

Meanwhile in Jaranwala, a 40-year-old man was gunned down in order to avenge an enmity. After taking possession of the body, police started action against the suspected shooters.

Forty-year-old Ashfaq, a resident of Ghulam Rasool Colony, was allegedly shot dead by Hasnain Imtiaz and other four suspects as he was passing through the street. He sustained severe injuries and was being shifted to hospital, but he succumbed to his wounds on the way. Police took Ashfaq’s body into custody and shifted it to the hospital before launching raids for the accused. Police are taking action under the provisions of murder.

According to police, the victim had allegedly killed an associate of the accused, whose case was registered with Saddar Jaranwala police station. He left his area due to this enmity and lived in Ghulam Rasool Colony, where his opponents allegedly shot and killed him.

In a separate incident, a woman was injured by a stray bullet.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2024.