A man in Pakistan has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting the admin of a community WhatsApp group who removed him from the chat, police said on Saturday.
The shooting took place on Thursday evening in Regi, a locality on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan and has a history of sectarian violence.
According to police records and a local official, the suspect, identified as Ashfaq Khan, has been charged with the murder of Mushtaq Ahmed. The dispute began when Mushtaq removed Ashfaq from the WhatsApp group following an argument. Hoping to reconcile, both men agreed to meet, but Ashfaq allegedly arrived with a gun and opened fire, killing Mushtaq on the spot.
The police report noted that both men were in the process of reconciliation when the suspect suddenly opened fire. The motive behind the attack was “in reaction to removal from WhatsApp group,” as stated in the report.
Humayun Khan, the victim’s brother, told Arab News that he was present at the scene but was unaware of the nature of the dispute.
“My slain brother Mushtaq and Ashfaq had developed some differences in a WhatsApp group, forcing my brother to remove the latter. Ashfaq got infuriated and shot my brother dead,” he said. “It was a non-issue or a very trivial matter. No one in our family even knew about the dispute at all.”
Local police officer Abid Khan confirmed that Humayun had filed a complaint against Ashfaq, who fled the scene after the attack. Authorities are conducting raids to apprehend him.
The incident has triggered widespread reactions on social media, with many expressing sorrow over such violence during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Easy access to firearms, the influence of tribal customs, and weak law enforcement in the region often contribute to minor disputes spiralling into deadly confrontations.