LAHORE: A youth was killed after a guard of an influential person fired on him following a quarrel near PTCL Exchange on Mian Ghazi Road, Defence, on Wednesday evening.

The victim’s family alleged one of the guards deployed with former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son Abdul Qadir Gilani fired on Malik Tahir, who was allegedly trying to overtake their vehicle.

However, Defence A police said it was not yet verified if the shooter was a policeman deployed in Qadir’s entourage. Police registered a case under sections 302 and 109 of the PPC and 7 ATA against Qadir and his six guards.

Also read: NAB accused of being soft on Gilani, Ashraf

Police said 24-year-old Malik Tahir of Wapda Town was going on a motorbike in Y Block of DHA along with his brother Waheed at the time of the incident.

The family and relatives of the victim protested against police by placing his body on Ghazi Road. They demanded a stern action against the suspects who fled from the scene.

Later, they staged a sit-in outside the house of the former prime minister in Y Block and were sitting until the filing of this report.

Cantonment SP (Operations) Muhammad Nadeem said preliminary police findings showed that Tahir and his brother were coming from Bhatta Chowk when they tried to overtake two vehicles.

Quoting Waheed, the SP said the brothers got into an argument with the driver of one of the vehicles – a land cruiser -- for not giving them space to overtake. One of the guards in the vehicle opened fire and a bullet hit Tahir in the head who died on the spot. He said though the family alleged involvement of a guard of Qadir Gilani, but the police were not verifying the claim.

DIG (Operations) Dr Haider Ashraf told Dawn the bullet that hit the victim had been fired from an SMG. He said the sole witness to the incident gave police the registration number of the suspects’ vehicle and police were investigating it.

He said efforts were under way to contact the former premier and his son, adding Qadir, who was usually provided a police escort, was travelling with his private guards during Eid days.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2014