Heirs of four men killed in a police firing incident agreed to forgive the elite force personnel if they paid diyyat (compensation under Sharia laws). The decision was made at a jirga held in Phulra village here on Sunday.
Former MNA Nawabzada Salauddin, MPA Habibur Rehman Tanoli, former MPA Sakhi Muhammad Khan Tanoli, SP Elite Force Daud Khan, SP Investigation Khalid Khan, elders of the area and heirs of those shot dead in the police firing attended the jirga.
On November 15, four people, Nawab Khan, his nephew Khanwez, Ishtiaq Ahmed and Fazal Khan were shot dead while six others were wounded when personnel of elite force opened fire at them in a forest, where they were deputed to check illegal logging. Police alleged the slain villagers were smuggling timbre, while the locals rejected the claim, saying they were bringing firewood on mules when police intercepted them and demanded gratification.
Later, the angry villagers went on a rampage, burning two police mobiles and throwing rocks at the police station. Four policemen including an SHO were injured in the attacks.
On the demand of locals, the police registered a case against Head Constable Mustafa Shah, Constables Nazakat Ali, Sardar Faisal and Muhammad Yasir, and arrested them. The accused policemen were sent on a judicial remand to Haripur jail. Furthermore, a judicial inquiry was also conducted by District and Sessions Judge Haripur Shaibar Khan, but its findings were not made public.
However, with the help of local political leadership at the jirga, heirs of the four deceased villagers agreed to forgive the police personnel against the payment of Rs500,000 to the family of each deceased as diyyat. Moreover each of the injured will receive Rs50,000, which the local leadership will pay from their own pockets.
The jirga decided that the heirs would withdraw their cases from the court after the payment of the amount within the next 15 days. Meanwhile, the police also announced withdrawing the cases that it registered against the deceased and injured villagers for attacking police personnel and property.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2012.
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