Army officer kills lineman

E-Paper | March 14, 2026

ISLAMABAD: An army officer shot dead a lineman when he tried to disconnect his power supply due to non-payment of dues on Wednesday, police said.

Later, the army officer surrendered to Sihala police, confessing to the crime and that he had dumped the body in Gujar Khan.

The accused told the police that Iesco’s assistant lineman Mehboob Ahmed came to his house in DHA Phase II to disconnect the power supply.

The army man, however, resisted, and later brought a weapon from the house and opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. He then bundled the victim’s body in his car with the help of his cousin and left it at a deserted place in Gujar Khan.

The police also arrested the cousin of the officer. A police officer said the army had been informed about the incident.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2015

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Imran

Dec 31, 2015 10:15am

The culprits should be taken to task and justice need to served to the family of the poor linemen. What a sick metality of trying to get all utilities for free and unfortunately peculiar to all govt servants being fed by public money for everthing from laundry to meal to housing. Perhaps this is his 'service' to the country.

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Israr

Dec 31, 2015 11:24am

How very sad. My deepest condolences to the poor man's family. I hope they can find some comfort somehow. A decent compensation from the Government AND the GHQ will help them somewhat. About the Major Saab, where did you get so much anger from, Sir? I think heads should roll in the Army highups to find out how and why an Army Officer can let out so much anger on a poor civilian. They should consider lessons on anger management and self-restraint for the officers. His decision to hand himself in is strangely commendable though.

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Dec 31, 2015 11:51am

Linemen should be accompanied by armed police whenever disconnections are involved. Government needs to protect the lives and provide security. In this scenario, the army man who has murdered the lineman for doing his job must be given an exemplary punishment because he proved through this gruesome action that he was neither an officer nor a gentleman.

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VOICE OF SANITY

Dec 31, 2015 12:48pm

so sad

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Imran Ahmed

Dec 31, 2015 01:01pm

A young man killed in line of duty

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Freakonomist

Dec 31, 2015 01:04pm

This nation needs to learn the essence of remorse for dishonesty (in this case stealing power) and tolerance in difficult circumstances. To that effect, county needs to change the whole school syllabus, and the entire mental models about define human relations, societal norms and civic responsibilities.

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Asif

Dec 31, 2015 01:14pm

Must be punished severely along with the abettor!

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Muhammad Saleem Munshi

Dec 31, 2015 02:24pm

Extremely distressing but proves anyway that rule of law is confined to books and empty rhetoric only. Poor Linesman crossed an invisible line and forget that he was up against someone first among the equals. No punishment as law is only for pushing it down the throat of the poor common man.

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Waseem Khan

Dec 31, 2015 02:51pm

No one is above law. Should be given equal punishment so set an example of supremacy of law in Pakistan.

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Secular Pathan

Dec 31, 2015 06:32pm

Lineman got Shaheed in the line of duty.!

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basharat

Dec 31, 2015 07:05pm

very sad and disgusting to know the sorry state of law and order situation. Pehle chori phir seena zori, not paying bills and then killing the govt official by non other than army officer is really unfortunate. How the officer dared to fire at the poor chap, wat makes the officer so daring, this need to probed and need to be think over. A nation divided half under the rule of law and half above the law cannot stand for longer. We need to bring all holly cows under the law and there is need to amend the 1952 Army act to get rid such criminal officers from our armed forces rank. So no officer could dare to break the law.

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Riaz M M

Dec 31, 2015 11:29pm

As the crime was committed against a civilian and in a civilian area the case must be tried in a civilian court preferably in an ATC court as the crime was committed against a state employee.

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mirestan

Jan 01, 2016 11:47am

Nothing will happen, this is truth. He will pay blood money to the family of line man, But he will lose his job. No joke he should start working as line man as punishment. This will be true justice.

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