September 3, 2003	Wednesday	Rajab 5, 1424

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BUNER, Sept 2: Eight members of a family, including women and children, were killed when armed men attacked their residence to avenge the abduction of a girl, at the Bagh area of tehsil Khadokhel on Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Dilbar Khan, 70, his 60-year-old wife, wives of his two sons Said Umer and Umer Shah, two daughters and a son of Said Umer aged about three years, four years and 15 days, respectively, and a nine-year-old daughter of Umer Shah. A 12-year-old daughter of Dilbar Khan was injured in the attack.

An FIR has been registered at the Totalai police station on the report of Umer Shah.

The attackers were identified as Khaliqdad, his sons Fazaldad, Aleemdad, Sherdad and Fazal Ameen, his brother Walidad and two sons of Walidad namely Fazal Subhan and Abdul Subhan.

Sources said two years ago Umer Shah had abducted a girl (Ms Z), following which he was tried and acquitted by a court. Later, a local jirga arranged a compromise between his family and the family of the girl on the condition that Dilbar Khan, Umer’s father, would pay a sum of Rs40,000 and give two of his girls in accordance with the custom of Swara to the rival party.

Dilbar Khan reportedly paid the money but was reluctant to hand over the girls in Swara and was offering different excuses in that regard. The delay in handing over the girls infuriated the rival family and they attacked Dilbar Khan’s residence, the sources added.