Alarming trend: Shrine’s caretakers gunned down in Mardan

Sajid and Maday Baba had been at Shaheed Ghazi Baba’s shrine for 10 years.

MARDAN:

Two caretakers of Shaheed Ghazi Baba’s shrine in Par Hoti area of Mardan were killed by unidentified assailants inside the shrine on Thursday.

Par Hoti police official Imtiaz Khan told The Express Tribune that police were informed about the incident around 1am after which they  to the shrine and found the bodies of 35-year-old Sajid, a resident of Risalpur, and octogenarian Maday Baba. The official said immediate evidence indicated they had been shot around an hour ago, adding there were multiple bullet wounds on the victims’ bodies.



Khan said the bodies were lifted with the help of residents and shifted to Mardan Medical Complex. He said the deceased had been tending to the shrine for more than 10 years and initial investigations had revealed they had no enmity with anyone.



The official said it was premature to say if it was a personal attack or a militant assault, adding Sajid’s body was shifted to his hometown while Baba would be buried in the local graveyard as his relatives could not be located. A case was filed against unidentified attackers and further investigation is under way.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2014.