Four gunned down in suspected revenge killing

Four men were shot dead after unidentified assailants allegedly opened indiscriminate fire on their vehicle near Khanewal Toll Plaza on Monday in what police believe was a targeted attack linked to an old enmity. Police and family members said the victims, identified as cousins Majeed Khan Niazi and Ismail Khan Niazi, along with their associates Hidayatullah Mahar and his nephew Zakaullah Mahar, residents of village 30-10-R, were travelling in a vehicle to attend a hearing in a case pending before a local court. The victims were reportedly on their way to the court of an Additional District and Sessions Judge in connection with a case registered at Kacha Khoh police station when they came under attack near the 84-10-R crossing close to the Khanewal Toll Plaza. Witnesses said the attackers, travelling in a car and three motorcycles, surrounded the victims' vehicle and opened fire from multiple directions. The occupants sustained critical injuries, while the bullet-riddled car continued moving for some distance before crashing into a water tank outside a tyre shop. Local residents said all four victims succumbed to their injuries shortly after the attack. District Police Officer (DPO) Khanewal Muhammad Abid Warraich, DSP Sadar Saeed Sial, rescue officials, and police teams rushed to the scene upon receiving information. The bodies were shifted to hospital for post-mortem examination. As per the FIR registered at City Police Station Khanewal on the complaint of the victims' relatives, one suspect, identified as Faisal Shah, has been nominated in the case, while seven unidentified accomplices have also been booked. The complainants alleged that the attack stemmed from a longstanding rivalry and claimed that Faisal Shah was previously wanted in murder cases. Speaking to the media, DPO Muhammad Abid Warraich said forensic experts had collected evidence from the crime scene, including spent bullet casings, while CCTV footage from nearby locations was also being examined. He said multiple police teams had been formed to arrest the suspects and expressed confidence that those involved in the killings would soon be brought to justice.

from Punjab News Updates and Insights - The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/7O65mTs