On 1 April 2017, Abdul Waheed, the custodian of Pir Mohammad Ali Gujjar shrine, along with his associates tortured 20 people to death inside the shrine in Sargodha, Pakistan.[1] Waheed was arrested by police and later admitted to committing the crime. The Chief Minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif announced Rs. 5 lakh (US$1,700) for families of deceased victims and Rs. 2 lakh (US$690) for each of the injured.[2]
| 2017 Sargodha shrine massacre | |
|---|---|
  2017 Sargodha shrine massacre (Punjab, Pakistan)  2017 Sargodha shrine massacre (Pakistan) | |
| Location | 95 Shomaali, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 31°41′02″N 72°16′02″E / 31.683953°N 72.267105°E |
| Date | April 1, 2017 |
| Target | People visiting shrine |
Attack type | Club beating, Torture, Drugging |
| Weapons | Club, Machete, Baton |
| Deaths | 20 |
| Injured | 3 |
| Victims | People at the spot |
| Assailants | Shrine custodian, Abdul Washed and his associates |
No. of participants | 5 |
| Defender | Punjab Police |
Attack
editThe caretaker of the shrine, Abdul Waheed invited people to visit the shrine and sedated them through food on late Saturday night.[2] Some sources also claimed that the food was poisoned. After sedation, Waheed started beating people along with his associates and tortured people with a club, a knife and other weapons. The assault was carried out in the courtyard of the shrine.[2] Some bodies of victims were nude.[2] During the assault, 20 people were killed, among whom were six belonging to a single family, while three were injured. Out of the three injured, one informed police.[3]
Investigation
editAfter being informed, the local police arrived and arrested Waheed and four of his accomplices.[3] During investigation, Waheed admitted to had have committed the crime.[3] Local rescue official Mazhar Shah said that Waheed used to meet his devotees twice a month and used to torture them.[2]
References
edit- ^ "20 killed by shrine custodian in Sargodha: police". Dawn. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "20 tortured to death at Sargodha shrine". The Nation. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ a b c "Sargodha shrine case: Murderer, accomplices sent to police on physical remand". Geo News. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.