SWABI: The Swabi police on Sunday arrested three persons, who had killed their six cousins over the dispute of ownership of a tree 17 years ago.

The incident occurred in Jalsai village on March 1, 2007.

The police said accused Wazir Mohammad, Naseer Mohammad, Mohammad Nawab, Laiq Khan, who has been already arrested, and Said Nawab had killed their cousins Alamgir Khan, Mohammad Akbar, Gul Akbar, Akhtar Munir and Zahid Munir, and an unknown person.

SHO Chota Lahor police station Altaf Khan said a total 19 cases of different nature had been registered against the accused.

He said one of accused, Liaq Khan, had been arrested and was handed down death sentence and 10 years imprisonment on June 6, 2010 by a local court in Chota Lahor.

He said the accused had warned their opponents against pursuing the case in court.

SHO Altaf Khan said when the victims’ family refused to settle the dispute with the accused, the latter set their standing wheat crop on fire, reducing it to ashes.

He said when the accused party succeeded to force their opponents to stay away from case proceedings they presented a fake agreement of a peaceful settlement of the dispute in the court, but their ploy failed, as when the judge asked the names of the people giving assent to the agreement, the accused failed to satisfy him.

The police officer said the judge ordered to register a case against the people for presenting a fake agreement.

He said that the police arrested Naseer Mohammad, Wazir Mohammad and Mohammad Nawab, residents of Jalsai village, and recovered two Kalashnikovs and two guns along with dozens of cartridges.

Said Nawab, the remaining accused, is yet to be arrested.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2024