GUJRAT: Two shopkeepers were killed on Sunday and as many passersby, including a woman, sustained bullet injuries allegedly when armed men of two local politicians (who happen to be brothers) belonging to rival parties — PML-Q and PML-N — exchanged fire in Kotla Bazaar in Kakrali police precincts over rent collection.

The rival groups are being respectively headed by Naeem Raza Kotla of the PML-Q and MNA Abid Raza Kotla of the PML-N who have a history of political and family rivalry spanning over the past 12 years.

The fresh clash, according to police and local sources, erupted over collection of monthly rent of some shops owned by the Kotla family located in the main bazaar of Kotla Town.

They said the clash triggered when armed men of PML Q’s Naeem Raza, also a former advisor to the Punjab chief minister (in 2002), demanded the rent from some shopkeepers doing business in the Kotla family’s market. Meanwhile, armed men of MNA Abid Raza of PML-N also reached there, and challenged their rivals.

In the ensuing exchange of fire between the rival groups, two brothers --Shahzad Ahmed and Ijaz Ahmed — belonging to Saddowal village, who ran a tailoring shop in the same market, sustained bullet injuris. As a result, Shahzad died on the spot whereas Ijaz later succumbed to his critical injuries at the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH).

However, none of the armed men resorting to crossfire were hurt in the incident.

A passerby woman, Tazeem Bibi and an onlooker Zafar Iqbal were also injured in the crossfire. They too were shifted to the ABSTH where their condition was said to be stable.

Superintendent of Police (investigation) Ghulam Mustafa Gillani and Kharian DSP Asad Ishaq heading a contingent reached the scene where homicide unit of the police collected evidence.

Meanwhile, the families and relatives of the deceased brothers staged a protest demonstration by placing the bodies on the GT Road, against delay in registration of double murder case against the culprits, causing disruption in traffic.

Following the protest, the police booked heads of the both groups — MNA Abid Raza and Naeem Raza on charges of double murder under sections 302, 324, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the report of Javed Ahmed, the third brother of the deceased men.

The protesters peacefully dispersed after registration of case.

Local sources said MNA Abid Raza’s group had been collecting the monthly rent of the shops for the last 12 years also on behalf of his three brothers — ex-MPA Shabeer, former chairman of Gujrat district council Tanveer Raza and Asif Raza — whereas their two brothers — Naeem Raza and Shahid Raza — had differences with them.

The armed men belonging to the rival groups had also clashed a few months ago but no casualty was reported then. However, the police had booked the leaders of both groups under section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act for resorting to firing.

Such armed clashes occurring in busy markets have become a cause of concern for the locals who feel their lives were at risk.

On Friday night, a local journalist, Mirza Waseem Beig, was assassinated at the doorstep of his house in Bhalwal Gharbi village in Sadar Sara-i-Alamgir police precincts by three unidentified assailants who are yet to be traced and arrested.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2019