HARIPUR: Scores of villagers blocked the GT Road here on Wednesday to protest the alleged murder of a teenaged employee of a CNG station. The city police, however, claimed to have arrested the accused charged in the FIR.

Saeed Jadoon, SHO City police station, quoted Saeeda Bibi, mother of the victim, Umar Shafqat, 18, and a resident of Koka village, as saying that at around 6am four persons -- Mohammad Amin, Asim Khan, Zahir Shah and Ishtiaq -- came to the CNG station where her son worked and opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. She, however, did not tell the reason behind the murder.

The SHO said the salesperson suffered a single shot of 12-bore shotgun in his head which caused his instant death. He said the circumstantial evidence suggested that the boy had committed suicide.

However, the charged family members of the slain blocked the road for about 30 minutes against the police and demanded arrest of the accused. They later dispersed peacefully when the SHO told them that all the accused nominated in the FIR had been arrested.

Meanwhile, the police also registered cases against 8 to 10 protesters for causing disruption in the flow of vehicular traffic.

IO RECORDS STATEMENT: Investigation Officer (IO) in the Mashal Khan lynching case on Wednesday continued recording his evidence in the Anti-Terrorism Court Abbottabad presided over by Fazal-i-Subhan Khan.

In support of his evidence, the IO produced over 21 video clips depicting how Mashal was attacked and murdered by the charged students and their abettors.

He also produced six cell phones that the police recovered from the accused, which also contained the scenes of the ghastly murder.

The court has so far recorded statements of 48 witnesses from the prosecution side. The case was adjourned till next Tuesday when the IO would again start recording his statement.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017