Vendetta: Six of a family shot dead

RAWALPINDI: In a bid to permanently settle scores, armed men killed six of their rivals during an arbitration to attempt a reconciliation between the two families who were closely related to each other. The fight turned ugly when one family pulled out guns and shot members of the rival family after a fiery exchange. Five men including three brothers and their two nephews,died on the spot while the fourth brother  died at the hospital. It all started after a children’s fight over a football match three days ago, said Civil Lines Police. What started as a children’s brawl escalated into a family feud. Their elders had scuffled before sehri on Thursday. A police official said the firing appeared pre-planned as only one side suffered losses which shows the assailants came prepared for the killings. A case was registered against 14 people while the main suspect Waheed Qureshi who is accused of instigating the clash, is still on the run.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th, 2012.