Targeted attack: Three children lose their lives to ‘settle score’

The children were related to the wife of an influential landlord of Naushero Feroz.

SUKKUR:

In a fight between a couple seeking divorce, three children lost their lives in Naushero Feroz’s Mohsin Panhwar village on Tuesday morning.

The children, eight-year-old Bisma, seven-year-old Adil and six-year-old Aqib, had just reached their private school on a rickshaw when armed men in a car opened fire on them. Bisma, daughter of DSP Juma Khan Panhwar, died on the spot, while Adil and Aqib - sons of DSP Khan’s brother Sikander - succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. A rickshaw driver, Muhammad Ramzan, and nine-year-old Ghulamullah were injured in the attack.

The attack was allegedly carried out by an influential landlord in the area, Muhammad Shafiq Panhwar, who was married to a niece of DSP Juma Khan Panhwar, the father of one of the victims, Bisma. Shafiq and his wife, Rozina, had a daughter and three sons but the husband was known for torturing her, said an insider.

When she had had enough, Rozina filed a divorce application in court six months ago but her husband became her enemy. With the divorce application pending in court as Shafiq refuses to attend court hearings, Rozina moved back with her parents along with her children.

Nearly two months ago, Shafiq kidnapped his three sons - leaving behind his only daughter - while they were on their way to school, said sources. DSP Juma Khan admitted the family did not file an FIR for the kidnapping as they were his own children. “We would have handed him over to him anyways if he had asked us politely,” he said.

Khan recalled that when Rozina filed for divorce, Shafiq had taken away all four children but his sister returned them after some time, saying Shafiq was unable to raise them. Rozina’s family believed he planned Tuesday’s attack on the children to further settle the score with them.

According to DSP Khan, Shafiq raided their houses a couple of weeks ago and opened fire but, luckily, nobody was killed or injured. The police even lodged a case against him at Naushero police station.

Shafiq and his accomplices opened fire at the children when they reached the gate of their school, said DSP Khan, adding they will register an FIR against him and his accomplices after performing the last rites of the children.

The injured driver and the child are under treatment at Shaheed Benazirabad hospital. The driver’s condition was termed critical but Ghulamullah was stable.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2013.