Alleged murderers claim Ahmadi leader ‘killed by family’

* Victim’s son says accused men pressuring police to frame charges against family
* PML-N MPA manages to talk protesters out of demonstration against removal of anti-Ahmadi signboard

By Rana Tanveer

LAHORE: The men accused of murdering an Ahmadi leader in Ferozewala, denying the allegations, are now claiming that the leader was killed by his own family over a monetary dispute, Daily Times has learnt. The four men accused of Muhammad Yousuf’s murder in the first information report (FIR) # 14/10 had gone into hiding and are still at large, according to police sources.

On January 5, two men on a motorbike gunned down Yousaf at his general store allegedly for seeking police protection against sectarian zealots in Ferozewala. Prior to the murder, the victim had complained against Muhammed Ahmad Faridi – accused of ordering Yousaf’s murder – of erecting a huge signboard at the main roundabout in Ferozewala Bazaar, which bore slogans provoking people against Ahmadis. In the FIR, Yousaf’s son Fatehul Din had named Faridi as the prime accused, along with accomplices Inamullah, Ashraf, and Haji Arshad.

Political pressure: Fateh stated that the accused were exerting political pressure on the police to implicate his family in the murder. He said his father had no dispute or enmity with anyone, and had been murdered because of his religious beliefs.

Ferozewala Station House Officer (SHO) Munir Ahmed told Daily Times that police had removed the signboard that Yousaf had complained about before his murder. Police wanted to avoid further religious strife in the area and was trying its best to resolve the matter amicably, he said. Munir said the accused were on the run, but certain prominent people of the area had assured him of their support in apprehending the alleged murderers. The SHO said that so far, police did not have any clue about the identities of the murderers, but the situation would become clear once the four men were in custody. Police have not ruled out the possibility of a financial dispute being the reason behind the murder, he added.

Signboard: According to local sources, after the removal of the signboard, Faridi’s supporters had planned to hold a protest against police for registering the FIR and removing the board. However, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Pir Ashraf Rasool managed to talk the protesters out of staging the demonstration, assuring them he would get the board back from police custody.

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