LOWER DIR: Four persons lost their lives and three others sustained injuries in a firing incident during a Jirga in Lower Dir on Friday.
Police said the incident happened in Gosam area in the jurisdiction of Munda Police Station. The deceased belonged to the same family.
A Jirga was going on to settle a dispute when the participants opened fire on each other due to which four people died and three others were injured. The deceased were identified as Rehmatullah Jan, Hameedullah, Riaz and Ismail.
The bodies and the injured were taken to hospital. Sources said the Jirga was being held to settle some monitory dispute.
There were no reports about any arrest in the case. However, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ajmal Khan said police are conducting raids for arrest of the culprits.
Incidents of firing sometimes occur during Jirgas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal districts when members of rival groups come across each other. In such an eventually, instead of conflict resolution, the conflict gets worse and more casualties occur.
Three days ago, a similar incident happened in Battagram area of Charsadda.
An exchange of fire happened between rival parties after a verbal clash late on Monday night during a Jirga due to which five persons lost their lives, police said.
The deceased also included a Jirga member and his son. Three other people sustained injuries in the firing. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their relatives after medico-legal formalities while the injured were taken to a hospital in Peshawar.
The Jirga was held in Ishara area in the jurisdiction of Battagram-Shabqadar Police Station. Police filed a case against two suspects Fasihullah and Manzoor. Raids are being conducted to arrest the suspects.
Last Sunday, a similar incident took place when six people, including two women, were killed in firing between two armed groups in Rajar area of Charsadda.
Earlier this year, four people died and another was injured when two groups opened fire at each other on the issue of burial at a graveyard in Charsadda. In January, five people, including two policemen, were killed in the Sardaryab area near Charsadda as a Jirga was resolving a family dispute between two groups.
