Disproportionate response: Man shot dead at fair

FAISALABAD: A man was shot and killed on Friday after a scuffle at a fair in the precincts of Nishatabad police station. Waqas Hanif, a resident of village 53-JB was at the fair when he had a quarrel with Muhammad Afzal, an acquaintance, over a minor issue. After exchanging harsh words with Hanif, Afzal called his friends and reportedly shot Hanif. The victim died on the way to a hospital. Naeem Amjad, an eyewitness, said, “Hanif was having fun at the fair when the accused and his friends tried to forcibly take him with them. A heated argument ensued after Hanif refused to go with them.” Afzal and his accomplices shot the victim thrice. The culprits later fled. Speaking to The Express Tribune, the Nishatabad station house officer (SHO) said police had sent the body to a mortuary for autopsy. The SHO said a team had been constituted to trace the accused and promised that they would be apprehended within 48 hours.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2014.