Divorce dispute: Seven hit by tractor after panchayat tiff

Protesters allege police were not arresting the assailants who they said had paid a Rs1 million bribe.

BAHAWALPUR:

Seven people had to be carried to a hospital on Saturday after they were attacked with a tractor in Madi Sheikh village near Samasata, police said.

They said Nazir Ahmad, Abdul Hadi, Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Abdullah, Saifullah, Muhammad Sadiq and Atta Muhammad were reported to be in critical condition at Bahawal Vicotria Hospital in critical condition.

They said doctors had to amputate a leg each of Ahmad and Hadi. Atta has been referred to Nishtar Hospital in Multan.

They said the men had had an argument with Arif Hassam, Yar Muhammad Hassam, Kaloo Hassam, Khurshid Ahmad, Muhammad Sabir, Bagu and Muhammad Ashiq.

They said a panchayat had been arranged to settle a dispute related to a couple’s divorce. They said they had registered a case against the attackers on charge of attempted murder.

Farooq Hassam, a complainant in the case, along with dozens of people later staged a protest demonstration against police in front of the offices of the regional police officer and the district police officer.

The protesters alleged police were not arresting the assailants who they said had paid a Rs1 million bribe. They said they would stage a protest demonstration in front of the chief minister’s office if they were not arrested.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2014.