One killed as ‘land grabbers,’ protesters clash in Charsadda

CHARSADDA: A man was killed in a firing incident at a protest rally against the alleged illegal occupation of a graveyard in Turangzai village in Charsadda district on Wednesday.
The Turangzai villagers were reportedly staging protest against the illegal occupation of the land of a graveyard and construction of a seminary and hotel on it.As the protesters gathered in front of the seminary to stage protest, the administrator of the seminary, Maulvi Pir Ashfaq, and his supporters allegedly opened fire on them.
One of the protesters, Khayal Muhammad, was hit in the firing and died on the spot.Reports said that hostilities developed a day earlier when the administrator stopped the residents from burying a woman in the graveyard near the seminary.
They said later the administrator due to the pressure of the local people allowed the woman to be buried near the seminary but the situation remained tense.In the morning announcements for staging the protest against the madrassa administrator were made. The villagers came out in strength and staged protest against the illegal occupation of the land meant for the graveyard.
After the firing and killing of a protester in the incident, the charged protesters shifted the copies of Holy Quran from the seminary and torched it along with the hotel.District Police Officer (DPO) Shafiullah Khan reached the spot with heavy contingents of police but the cops failed to overpower the charged mob.
The villagers alleged that the administrator of the seminary grabbed the land meant for the graveyard and built illegal structure on it.The residents said that 150 students had been getting religious education in the seminary but they have now shifted to other nearby seminaries.
The brother of the slain protester, Saleh Muhammad, alleged that the administrator was harbouring militants and suicide bombers at the seminary. “The militants escaped after the incident,” he alleged.
Administrator of the seminary, Pir Ashfaq, denied firing at protestors and said the land was his ancestral property.He alleged that some people were conspiring against him since long and they incited the people to attack the seminary.He accused his rivals of firing and killing a protester to implicate him in a fake murder case.The police lodged the case and started investigating the incident.