LOWER DIR: The Upper Dir police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested five of the eight persons allegedly involved in killing of nine persons and injuring 16 others during a jirga in Bandagai Barawal area the other day.

The incident occurred when a jirga was in progress in the area to settle a land dispute between two families. Nine people were killed and 16 others injured in the attack.

Led by DPO Tariq Iqbal, a police team raided different places on Monday night to arrest the alleged killers. Police arrested five of the eight suspects including Jehan Alam, Bakht Alam, Shamsher Alam, Arshad and Ijaz. The weapons used in the attack were also recovered.

Three of the suspects — Ahmad Noor, Nawab and Zafar are still at large.

DPO Tariq Iqbal said the arrested people were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation. He said that the rest of the accused would also be arrested soon as police were conducting raids in the area.

Meanwhile, Dir Qaumi Jirga, a body of local politicians and elders working for resolution of disputes, on Tuesday expressed grave concerns and anger over the Toormang tragic incident during which eight people were killed and 12 more were injured during a funeral prayer of an elderly woman on last Thursday night.

The jirga members held talks with elders of the rival families and offered fateha for the departed souls. They asked the parties to remain patient and peaceful during the course of jirga proceedings.

The jirga members also met Malik Mohammadzeb, brother of Malik Jehanzeb, at Khall police station where SP Mushtaq Ahmad, DSP Farooq Jan and SHO Muhibullah Khan were also present.

Malik Mohammadzeb took oath on ‘Quran’ and pleaded that he was not guilty and that he had nothing to do with the firing on the funeral prayer. He asked the jirga and police to probe the matter so that the real culprits could be brought to book.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2021