At least four people were killed and seven others got injured during an exchange of fire between two rival groups at a taxi stand here in Dhoke Kala Khan area within the limits of Sadiqabad police station.
The indiscriminate firing between the two groups started at midnight resulted into killing of four people and injuring of four others. Panic spread in the area including Farooq-e-Azam Road, Dhoke Kala Khan and Kashmiri Mohalla.
According to Rescue 1122, the deceased have been identified as Hamza (22), Zeeshan (29) and Abdullah (18) while the name of one deceased was not shared by the rescue officials.
M Rasheed, Haider Ali, M Jahangir, Mustafa, Hassan, Nasir and Shahzaib are among the wounded persons, who are under treatment in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH).
The police along with the area people shifted the dead bodies and injured persons to BBH for post-mortem and medical treatment. Heart-moving scenes could be witnessed at the emergency department of the hospital as attendants of the victims and heirs of the deceased were mourning.
The eyewitness said that police personnel were present at the area where fight between the two groups was underway; however, they did nothing and acted as salient spectators.
According to the first information report (FIR) registered by police, Zahid Mehmood alleged that he along with others was present at home when he heard sounds of firing and abuses in the street. He said that he along with others came out to know what was happening outside when they saw Chaudhry Yasir, Chaudhry Nasir, Chaudhry Amir and others equipped with weapons and they opened firing at them.
He said that three persons died on the spot and seven others got injured. The reason behind the attack is a court's litigation over an attempted murder case between them and the attackers, he added.
SSP Investigation Faisal Kamran claimed that the police have arrested two accused and seized weapons from them.
Later in the evening, the relatives of the deceased placed dead bodies on the road and staged protest on Islamabad Expressway. The protestors blocked Islamabad Expressway and Faizabad Interchange for traffic.
Huge traffic jam was witnessed on main roads of twin cities in Koral, Khanna, Shakrial, DHA, Bahria Town, T-Chowk, Murree Road, Old Murree Road, IJP Road, Pirwadhai Road, Tarnol, Peshawar Road, Katcheri Chowk, GT Road and many other parts of the federal capital, posing hardships for commuters and the people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019