Minor girl among three shot dead

Three women, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed and a three-year-old child was injured when armed men opened fire on a nomadic settlement on Jhang Road in Faisalabad early on Thursday, police said.

The attack took place in Abbas Pur, where a group of nomadic families had been living in makeshift tents for about a month.

Police said the attackers were allegedly motivated by suspicion that the victims had provided information that led to the death of one of their associates in a police encounter in Kasur.

According to police, around 10 armed men entered the settlement in the early hours of the morning and opened indiscriminate fire. As a result, 55-year-old Zubaida Bibi, wife of Khalil, 30-year-old Asma Bibi, wife of Amir Ali, and nine-year-old Muskan, daughter of Amir Ali, were killed on the spot.

Three-year-old Zubaida was injured in the firing. Rescue officials provided her with first aid before shifting her to Allied Hospital for treatment.

Police officials, including SP Iqbal Town Saeed Ahmed, DSP Sadar Shahid Gujjar and Airport police SHO Qamaruzaman Awan, reached the scene after receiving information about the incident. The bodies were shifted to Allied Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Airport police registered a case on the complaint of Muhammad Amir, son of deceased Zubaida Bibi, against 14 suspects, including 11 nominated and three unidentified accused.

The case was registered under provisions relating to triple murder, attempted murder and motorcycle theft.

Police said the suspects had allegedly targeted the nomadic settlement over their suspicion that its residents had informed police about their associate, who was killed in an alleged police encounter in Kasur.

Police said the women resisted when the attackers entered the settlement, prompting the suspects to open fire.

Taking notice of the triple murder, City Police Officer Tanveer Hussain directed the formation of three teams under the supervision of SP Iqbal Town to arrest the suspects.

Police teams were conducting raids at various locations to trace the accused.

The attack triggered panic in the area, particularly because of the timing and the killing of women and a child.

According to official data obtained by The Express, 170 people were killed in Faisalabad district during the current year in incidents attributed to old enmity, personal disputes and minor altercations. The victims included women and children.

The Jaranwala division recorded the highest number of killings, with 57 deaths, followed by Iqbal Town division with 41.

Madina Town division recorded 37 killings, including women, while 24 people were killed in Sadar division.

Lyallpur Town, a predominantly urban division, recorded 11 killings.

Police said most suspects involved in these cases had been arrested and interim challans and, in several cases, final challans had been submitted to the courts.