NAROWAL: Hundreds of people staged a protest demonstration on Sunday and burnt tyres after an orator was shot dead during a majlis (religious gathering) at Kothe Pathana village in Sialkot district.

According to witnesses, Zakir Naveed Ashiq, of Lahore, was addressing majlis in the house of Sajjad Hussain in Kothe Pathanan village when the suspect suddenly opened fire on him with a pistol.

The killer, identified as Zeeshan, was immediately overpowered by other participants and locked in a room.

As a result, Naveed Ashiq was critically injured and later succumbed to his wounds while being shifted to the Allama Iqbal Hospital, Sialkot.

Suspect nabbed, handed over to police

On being informed of the incident, a heavy police contingent reached the spot.

The participants of the majlis protested against the police for not providing security and refused to hand over the suspect to the police.

Finally after three-hour-long negotiations, the protesters handed over the suspect to the police. Sialkot police took the dead body of Ashiq into custody and shifted it to the dead house of Allama Iqbal Hospital.

Later, hundreds of people gathered outside the dead house, burnt tyres and chanting slogans against the police.

According to police sources, Zakir Naveed Ashiq had come to Kothe Pathana village from Lahore to address the majlis.

Khurram Shahzad, spokesperson for the Sailkot district police, said the suspect had been shifted to an unknown location for investigation after his medical examination.

DPO Muhammad Faisal Kamran said during the investigation all the requirements of law and would be fulfilled. He said that the police won’t allow any conspiracy to destroy the peace of the city to succeed.

The protesters demanded that Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and inspector general of police should take immediate notice of the situation and ensure justice is done.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2022