RAWALPINDI: A man was gunned down while his parents and brother were injured after allegedly being beaten up by a former National Assembly election candidate and his accomplices in Ratta Amral area on Sunday.

The deceased, Hafiz Saqib Khan, 33, was an active worker of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Rawalpindi, and a member of the metropolitan General Council. One of the suspects nominated in the murder case was Babar Jadoon Khan, a former president of PPP Rawalpindi City and a candidate for the National Assembly in the general elections this year.

Fiaz Khan, a resident of Hazara Colony, lodged an FIR with Ratta Amral police saying that he was a rickshaw driver and so was his son Saqib, 33.

On Sunday, Saqib parked his rickshaw outside his house to bring his mobile phone from inside when their neighbour, Babar Jadoon, came out of his house and on seeing the rickshaw parked outside, got its tyre flattened and started abusing him.

He stated that his son Saqib and wife Yasmin came out and saw Babar Jadoon and Zubair Khan carrying batons, while some other persons were using abusive language against them.

Fiaz Khan said when he himself came to talk to Babar Jadoon, he was struck in the head by his accomplice Asad. On seeing him injured, his son Usman came to rescue him, but he too was beaten up. They also beat up his wife which left her injured, he claimed in the FIR.

Despite being beaten, he and his son Saqib kept on telling Babar Khan Jadoon that they were removing their rickshaw, but all of a sudden Babar Jadoon brought a pistol from his car and shot Saqib, injuring him critically.

In the meantime, the attackers managed to escape from the scene.

The injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) but Saqib Khan succumbed to his injures.

Following the incident, a large number of JUI-F supporters staged a protest at Fawara Chowk against the murder of Saqib Khan, blocking traffic on both sides.

The protesters demanded registration of a murder case and arrest of the alleged killers. They warned that they would stage another protest at Liaquat Bagh and block traffic if the police failed to arrest the culprits.

They finally dispersed peacefully after DSP City Ateeq Dogar negotiated with them.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2024