GUJRANWALA, March 23: The 13 years of enmity have devoured all male members of a family for pursuing justice.

The enmity which began in 1995 has claimed seven people of the family, of Mohalla Mubarik in Gujranwala, for their not compromising with the murderer accused.

This time Khalifa Ansar, alias Sharu, of the Khalifa family was shot dead near the sessions courts on March 20.The deceased gots married just five months ago.

The tale of barbarity began in 1995 when Khalifa Mumtaz, the family head, gave a tip-off to police that Aqeel, alias Kaka Daura, possessed an unlicensed weapon as he (Kaka Daura) was developing ties with Mumtaz’s rivals.

A relative of the victim family says that on knowing that police was informed about the weapon by Mumtaz, Daura went to his storehouse where they had an argument which turned ugly. Daura, reportedly, opened fire at Mumtaz and one of his sons Khalifa Asghar, killing both of them there and fled away.

A double-murder case was registered against Daura and he was later declared a proclaimed offender.

Remaining underground, Daura kept on pressuring the Khalifas for withdrawing the case, failing which he killed another son of Mumtaz, Khalifa Sajjad, in 1997 but the family remained adamant on pursuing the case.

In 1999, Daura again struck. This time he stabbed Khalifa Gull Muhammad, another member of the family, to death after calling him to one of his neighbours’ house.

Two years on, police at last arrested Kaka Daura and he was handed down death sentence on two counts.

But, the plight of Khalifas did not end with Daura’s conviction as his brothers, who were living abroad, started pressuring them for a compromise.

When they could not convince the family for a compromise, they allegedly got another brother, Khalifa Imtiaz murdered on May 3, 2007, by a hit man.

The second last victim was Khalifa Babar, alias Gogi, who was shot dead on August 12 at his business place at Khiali, allegedly by Daura’s brothers Badar and Abbas. A servant of Babar was injured in the attack who was admitted to the Civil Hospital.

The enmity has so far rendered 30 children orphan.

Khalifa Ansar was the only surviving son of Mumtaz who also fell prey to the enmity.

A source said a Belgium-based brother of Daura had offered Rs5 million to the Khalifas for withdrawing the case but they refused.

Now, as no male member of the Khalifas is alive, the latest murder case was lodged by the nephew of the deceased, Muhammad Haider, who did not nominate the ‘defendants’ party in the FIR, fearing that the nomination of Daura will risk his life.

Jahangir Butt, Sabzi Mandi police station house officer, said the police had so far arrested three people for their alleged involvement in the murder of Khalifa Imtiaz and the investigations were on.

The Khalifa family claimed all these murders were committed by Badar and Abbas, the brothers of Kaka Daura.

A resident of Mohalla Mubarik Shah, who asked not to be named, told Dawn Kaka Daura and his relatives had killed the whole family for his release from the murder case.

He said the brothers of Kaka Daura managed these murders through hired assassins, so police could not arrest the brothers of Daura who were abroad.

Muhammad Tariq, a relative of the Khalifa family, told Dawn that a few days ago the defendant party pursued Khalifa Ansar for withdrawing the cases but he refused.

He said prolonged litigation was the main reason behind the destruction of the family.