RAWALPINDI: A police investigation and victim statements suggest that an incident in Rawat on Tuesday in which two brothers were killed and their father and two of their brothers were injured, was a highway robbery in which mobile phones and cash were stolen.

The police were investigating the incident on various lines, but did not initially suggest that it may have been a robbery.

Dhoke Ahmad Shah resident Nasir Hussain Shah lodged an FIR with the Rawat police stating that he, along with his father Iftikhar Hussain Shah and brothers Hameed Hussain Shah, Naveed Hussain Shah and Noor Hussain Shah were at home at 6:30pm on Tuesday when his brother Ibrar Hussain Shah called to say he was being held hostage by robbers who had blocked the road.

The four brothers and their father went to rescue Ibrar. Upon seeing them approach, the alleged robbers fired at Ibrar, the FIR said. He said their father gave the robbers Rs10,000 and mobile phones and asked them not to hurt anyone. Despite taking the items, the robbers allegedly shot them.

The robbers then sped off on motorcycles towards Dhoke Syedan, the FIR said. Ibrar and Naveed, who were critically injured, died immediately while their father and two of the brothers were injured. This is the latest in a number of robberies in Rawat in the last week.

He said he was shot twice by the alleged robbers, but they were unable to take the money from him and fled on their motorcycle.

Separately, the police recovered the body of an unidentified individual from a field in Mankiala.

The body was taken to a hospital for a postmortem examination and the police are trying to identify the victim.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2020