Five of a family shot dead in Quetta over ‘land dispute’

Published May 26, 2026 Updated May 26, 2026 07:02am
An undated image of a pistol. — Reuters/File
An undated image of a pistol. — Reuters/File

QUETTA: Five members of a family, including a woman, were gunned down allegedly by one of their relatives in the Kachhi Baig area of Sariab Road on Monday, police said.

According to police, the incident took place late on Sunday night in Killi Allahabad, within the jurisdiction of Kachhi Baig police station, when armed assailants allegedly led by a man identified as Akram, along with his accomplices Razzaq and Ikram, stormed the house of Muhammad Yousaf and opened indiscriminate fire.

As a result, Muhammad Yousaf, Pervez, Muhammad Asif, Tahir and a woman were killed on the spot.

Police said the victims included three brothers, their sister and their father. The deceased were reportedly close relatives of the accused, including brothers-in-law and nephews.

The attackers fled the scene after the incident. Police and rescue teams reached the site soon after receiving information and shifted the bodies to hospital for medico-legal formalities before handing them over to the heirs.

Initial investigations revealed that the killings occurred over a longstanding land dispute. Police officials said a case had been registered against the nominated suspects and raids were being conducted at various locations to arrest them.

“A thorough investigation from all aspects is underway and the culprits will soon be brought to justice,” a police official said, adding that evidence had been collected from the crime scene.

Following the incident, enraged relatives, residents and supporters of the victims placed the bodies on Sariab Road and staged a protest demonstration against the killings and the failure to maintain law and order.

The protest led to the complete suspension of traffic on one of Quetta’s busiest roads for several hours. Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road, causing severe hardship for commuters, transporters, passengers and residents.

Police and local administration officials held negotiations with the protesters in an attempt to reopen the road and restore traffic flow. However, the blockade continued for several hours as the demonstrators demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits and justice for the slain family members.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2026

Opinion

Editorial

Balochistan tragedy
Updated 26 May, 2026

Balochistan tragedy

The state keeps reiterating the role of hostile foreign actors in fomenting unrest, yet seems to be short on ideas on how to prevent the ingress of such actors and their ideologies in Baloch society.
Economic engagement
26 May, 2026

Economic engagement

AN array of investment MoUs valued at $7bn signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s China visit signifies...
Flotilla abuse
26 May, 2026

Flotilla abuse

THE testimonies that have emerged from international activists, who were part of a Gaza-bound flotilla, paint a...
In chains
Updated 25 May, 2026

In chains

THE question should never be about who is at the receiving end at any given point in time: an assault on an...
Climate shocks
25 May, 2026

Climate shocks

THE latest State Bank report documenting recurring climatic disasters in Pakistan during the period between 2000 and...
Justice deferred
25 May, 2026

Justice deferred

PAKISTAN’S courts are quick to remind the public that justice takes time. Increasingly, however, it is the conduct...