16 booked in triple murder, car torching case

Land owner, nephew, and police guard killed in targeted attack

HAFIZABAD:

Vanike Tarar police have registered a case against 16 suspects after three men were gunned down and their vehicle set ablaze near Asadullah Pur.

Despite directives from the inspector general of police (IGP), no arrests have been made.

According to police, the victims were identified as Bawa Muhammad Hussain, a landlord from Asadullah Pur who had been working in Spain and recently returned on leave; his nephew Muhammad Usman and Constable Rai Shahzad, who had been deployed as Hussain's security guard.

The victims were traveling in a car when armed men ambushed them, opening fire and killing all three on the spot.

The attackers then poured petrol on the vehicle, setting it on fire before fleeing. The bodies were charred beyond recognition.

Rescue 1122 and police teams arrived shortly after the incident but could only recover the remains. The bodies were shifted to a hospital for postmortem and later handed over to the families.

Funeral prayers

were held in the victims' native villages, drawing large crowds and leaving the community in mourning.

Police sources said the murders appear to be linked to an ongoing rivalry between Hussain's family and the Tarar clan. Initial findings suggest the killings may have been carried out in revenge for the earlier murder of a Tarar family member, allegedly by Hussain's nephew.

However, investigators said other angles were also being explored.

The FIR names 16 suspects, including Dawood Ahmad Tarar, Ashiq Hussain (son of Muhammad Nawaz), Hashim Riaz, Ashiq Hussain (son of Ghulam Rasool), Ehteshamul Haq, Adnan Arshad, Sagheer, and Almas Bibi, among others.

None of the nominated suspects have been apprehended.

The killings caused fear in Hafizabad.

Local residents and social activists criticised the police over their failure to ensure security in rural areas where family rivalries often escalate into violence.

Police officials of the area acknowledged the gravity of the incident, stating that raids were under way to trace and arrest the culprits.

They assured that all suspects would be brought to justice.