Three shot dead over grazing dispute

Goats strayed into wheat field, sparking argument between farmers

LODHRAN:

A dispute over animals straying into a wheat field escalated into a violent clash between two groups in Shahpur Phal, a suburban area of Kehror Pakka, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to six others, two of whom are in critical condition.

The incident occurred when goats entered the wheat field, sparking a heated argument between the groups on Thursday.

Both sides resorted to open gunfire during the altercation.

The deceased were identified as Malik Tariq Phal, Malik Dilshad Shana Phal and Baqir.

From the first group, Nasir, son of Wahid, was fatally injured, while Khalid (35), Rizwan (24), and Irfan (16) sustained injuries.

From the second group, Dilshad was killed Allah Wasaya (60), and Allah Bachaya (70) were injured. Upon receiving reports of the indiscriminate gunfire, DSP Kehror Pakka Muhammad Rizwan Khan, along with local police and rescue teams, reached the scene.

The injured were shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for medical treatment, and the bodies of the deceased were taken into custody for further investigation.

Sources revealed that tensions had been simmering between the two groups due to a prior dispute over a pathway.

DSP Rizwan Khan confirmed that both parties are close relatives and assured that stringent action would be taken against all those involved in the incident.

Earlier in September, a dispute between two groups in Lodhran, sparked by a long-standing feud over a goat, resulted in the deaths of two people raising the death toll linked to the dispute to seven.

Members of the Ranjha group opened fire, killing Muhammad Sharif, the head of the Sharif group, along with nephew.

The incident has reignited tensions that have simmered between the two groups for over a decade.

The killings occurred in the Darbar Qurban Shah area, where the Ranjha group ambushed members of the Sharif group.

The police said the assailants, armed and hiding in a nearby cornfield, opened fire on Sharif and his cousin Najam. Both men died as a result of the attack and two more members of the Sharif group were injured in the ensuing violence.

The victims' families staged a protest outside the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, accusing local police of failing to provide justice. Despite waiting for over eight hours, the families complained that the post-mortem of the deceased had not been carried out due to delays by the hospital administration.