Matrimonial dispute’: Women, kids among nine of same family shot dead in Batkhela

29-06-2023
Flavia Gkioka
Pakistan Human Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.

A tragedy occurred in Batkhela when nine members of a family were gunned down over a matrimonial dispute. After the primary investigation the police reported that all the family members were asleep when they were fired upon and killed by some “unknown assailants” after barging into the house. Moreover, according to police and rescue officials, the suspects broke into the house at around 2am and opened indiscriminate fire on the sleeping family, killing men, women, and children of the house allegedly over a marital dispute. Among the dead are four women, two children and three men. Local Levies officials rushed to the crime scene after receiving alert and shifted the bodies to Batkhela hospital for autopsy and medico-legal formalities. The deceased were identified as Hasan Shah, Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Bilal, Zohran, Zehran, Rabia, Ruqqaya Bibi and Habiba, wife of Hasan Shah. A case was registered against the killings and further investigation is underway, claim officials. Residents of the area and aggrieved family members staged a protest against the horrifying murders and called for justice. Caretaker Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Muhammad Azam Khan said: ‘’The elements involved in the incident cannot escape from the grip of the law under any circumstances and all possible efforts will be made to provide complete justice to the victim’s family’’. 

Sources and further reading:

‘Matrimonial dispute’: Women, kids among nine of same family shot dead in Batkhela | Pakistan Today