Sialkot case changing direction, says family( Express tribune)

SIALKOT: The grieved family of the two lynched brothers Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb Butt has expressed dissatisfaction over the police inquiry report produced before the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the joint investigating team comprising of the senior police officials.

Talking to the newsmen here, lynched brothers’ uncle Muhammad Zarar Butt alleged that the police was trying to change the direction of lynching tragedy for saving the accused police officials nominated in this case.

“We totally differ from the said police investigation report”, he added.

The grieved family urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary to ensure early revision on this police investigation report for providing the early and speedy justice to the grieved family. “Only CJP could provide justice to us”, he added.

In earlier reports, the family stated that they had been facing life threats by some unknown accused who were allegedly trying to prevent them from pursuing the case further.

Till now, the Supreme Court has disposed of the suo moto hearingof the Sialkot lynching case, which has now been passed on to a trial court.

Postmortem of Sialkot lynching victims postponed .

LAHORE: The Civil Court on Tuesday postponed the re-postmortem of the two brothers killed in Sialkot.

The family of murdered brothers, Mughees and Muneeb, said that it did not trust the medical board formed to perform the second post mortem. – (File Photo)

The family of murdered brothers, Mughees and Muneeb, said that it did not trust the medical board formed to perform the second post mortem.

The re-postmortem of the victims of a mob lynching incident, was to be conducted today in Imam Sahab cemetery on the orders of the Supreme Court.

A request-petition had been put forward by the family in Civil Judge Sialkot Abu Bakar Siddique’s court. The family proposed induction of a senior surgeon from Lahore into a newly formed medical board. The judge agreed to the request and a new date for the postmortem will be announced in few days. – DawnNews

Lynched brothers’ autopsy on 14 Sept. Dawn News

SIALKOT:The second autopsy of two brothers, Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb Butt, who were lynched by a mob in Buttar village on Aug 15, will be conducted on Tuesday (Sept 14) at Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital.A special board consisting of senior doctors will conduct the autopsy on the recommendation of judicial inquiry officer, Kazim Ali Malik.The judicial inquiry was conducted on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a suo motu case. Senior officials said that bodies the lynched brothers would be exhumed in Imam Sahib Graveyard on Tuesday and all necessary arrangements have been finalised. Meanwhile, moving scenes were witnessed in the house of lynched brothers as a large number of mourners came there to comfort the grieving family on the eve of Eidul Fitr. Talking to Dawn, Fouzia Sajjad, the grieving mother, said it is dreadful to find Mughees and Munib absent on the eve of Eid. She said she had relinquished all her hopes to live on. Younger sister of the lynched brothers, 12-year-old Momina, still waits for her brothers to join her in Eid celebrations.—Correspondent

Sialkot killing & The Shameless Us by OmEr Jamil (haqeeqat.org)

Even after smoking three consecutive sticks I fail to imagine, let alone picture as to how would Hafiz Mughees Sajjad Butt be feeling- before surrendering his soul due to simultaneous clubbing- as his dear younger brother, his due responsibility to take care of and bring-back-home-safe, his cricket-mate, his bond-for-life little Muneeb Sajjad Butt had been brutally, barbarically beaten to death bleeding before his very eyes?

I had heard within I can’t blog this…

But I do have to blow-off. I don’t know why but I always have to…

These two young brothers from Mouza Buttar, Sialkot- Muneeb Sajjad Butt, 17, a student of 9th grade and his elder brother Hafiz Mughees Sajjad Butt, 19, of Intermediate, on a suspicious of armed robbery resulting in a murder near Haji Pura- were brutally clubbed to death by a heinous local mob consisting on 5/five amidst a circled crowd- and that’s just not it- catering also the shameless presence and endorsement of multiple law enforcement & rescue agencies i.e. Police and Rescue 1122!

Please be informed that both the brothers were killed on-spot while the Police men besides ensuring the due process of law, ensured their first-row presence amongst encircled crowd cold-heartedly listening to the helpless yet heart-tearing cries allowing the killing by not stopping the barbaric torture on both teenagers ‘slowly’ being dispatched to heavens, one after another. As the timeline of the footage keeps running while Muneeb is already dead and Mughees is being clubbed, several voices from the crowd even suggest bringing petrol to burn the brothers! Nobody even cared to raise a voice against tossing and further humiliation of the dead bodies… sadly!

I has always wondered if we have long lost the upholding of Amar bil ma’roof and Nahi an’il Munkir factors!

Also, while the tractor-trolley dragged both brothers’ dead-bodies around the city, it was escorted by a Police vehicle all the way to the square both Hafiz Mughees Sajjad Butt & Muneeb Sajjad Butt’s bodies were then hanged upside down. More disgustingly, the very tractor-trolley rode a police man too!!!

I believe they stood all so numb to such heinous an act extreme brutality and shame because they are accustomed to practising it regularly!

This, my friends, took place in Pakistan and that too, in the city if Iqbal! My existence here is shattered and my association with a nation such people have acquaintance with is ashamed, so very much ever since. I feel much more insecure now, just like Maho had said!

Please note that I neither establish anywhere the innocence of both brother nor I reject the accusations upon them- of murdering Bilal and leaving three others wounded- as made by the mob while it clubbed them to death for the same. Because there were aired different versions ever since the news and because I was not there and I didn’t witness the context either, hence I must not benefit from this the murdered brothers for if I do, this wouldn’t be a fair write-up you’re reading! It is the matter of comprehensive investigation and then, courts of law! On my part and in my personal opinion, it would be too soon to weigh. Let the investigators and judiciary come up with the verdict and we shall see the black & white. (Protesters on roads, please remember conducting a fair demonstration and NOT influenced by emotions!)

What I condemn here in this writing of mine is not the ‘innocents killed’ but for the ‘humanity butchered‘! Thick or thin, it doesn’t matter whatsoever Mughees & Muneeb’s crime be, there is no reason, no court, no law on planet earth and beyond that allows and justifies such barbaric an act that disgusts not just the humanity but the very existence of Mr. Human itself! I condemn not only the mob but also the crowd for its impotency! Below, a line taken from an editorial published in a local English newspaper questions well;

“Is this what we are? Savages??? So utterly bereft of a speck of humanity that a crowd of ordinary men are passive spectators to public murder?“

Too much barbarism our society have inherited- esp. the lower middle class in suburbs that is hardly even educated- I don’t really know from where in deed! May be, like some people suggest that such brutality has been taught by the Police (here, here, here, here, here and alas, here) & Army (here) and some say that the continuous state neglect helped develop such extreme frustration resulting into violence, brutality and extremism but I believe- in my personal opinion- it is unfair to blame others for one’s own deficiencies, deprivations and misconducts.

In India, which is always highlighted for minority suppression, incidents of similar sort are often reported- I know of and possess footages of many- but not to this extent of barbaric extremism esp. to Hindus, in my knowledge at least. In India, it’s a different story because it mostly happens due to prevalent Religious & Racial Intolerance and that too for most of their religious scriptures and organizations uphold so. But the Sialkot brutality took place due to Human Intolerance, I must say which most of Pakistan nowadays is getting more at the verge of, by each day unfortunately! I so suggest that we the citizens should really look deep in to this matter rather than wasting time & energy in pessimist protests and negative criticism!

Anyway, how would these illiterate people know when they cannot even study the Holy Quran themselves hence follow the Maulvi’s version whatever it is, they just believe it for they can neither verify nor challenge it due to their own ignorance (well, that’s one of the major reasons religious extremism/terrorism still prevails in Pakistan!)… they don’t really care!

And neither do we; you & I WE!!! Because we can go on viewing all newspapers, websites, blogs and videos that add a spice to the criticism and condemn out aloud the incompetence of Government or System, but we can’t ourselves take an initiative to heal the wounded society! When it comes to clearing the mess we caused, we’re just too busy with our lives and jobs and friends and stuff to bother even a little for what’s our own and requires immediate attention!

Like the most of youth nowadays, we can go on blocking roads, disrupting traffic holding demonstrations protesting aloud ‘aggressively‘ demanding a tough lesson for the accused mob, but hardly could even a single voice be heard yelling for a righteous call for educating & promoting peace. Likewise, most of our loud media goes on bombarding the disgusting video 24/7 spreading yet-invisible chaos at the back of our mind, but there’s no talk-show held to discuss the cure for our very society for nothing else than what’s spicy and sells quick is all it’s (our premature media’s) concern. (Please acknowledge that the ridiculously repeated bombardment of these videos by our media hurdles bad our call for international donations in these critical times of national disaster; flood that is! I have also got in touch with the Federal Minister Rehman Malik on this who agreed to my stance and- I hope- would further advise the media power houses to stop such stupidities.)

Friends! criminals would inshaAllah and ultimately be punished like they’re supposed to, but shall their punishment eradicate such brutality, extremism and this barbarism we possess within?

You tell me, should we only seek for the toughest punishment, shall it end the pain you & I felt from this incident all for once?

Shall we do nothing about it and get immune towards such occurrings?

Well if you think so, we’d stand as just another face in the same crowd who equally participated in this lynching by not doing anything to stop it!

BREAKING NEWS....Sialkot Lynching: SHO Rana Ilyas arrested.

The main accused in the Sialkot lynching of two brother, SHO Rana Ilyas, was arrested on Friday evening.

Sialkot DPO Bilal Siddique confirmed the arrest of Rana Ilyas. Sources state that the accused was arrested in an operation conducted between the Iran and Turkey border, hinting at international security assistance.

SHO Rana Ilyas had previously managed to evade custody on August 11. Ilyas, who fled from the office of the DSP Sialkot, was brought to the office so that he could be produced before a court for a judicial remand.

Advocate General Punjab Khawja Haris told the apex court that names of all the accused have been put on Exit Control List.

ISLAMABAD:Advocate General Punjab Khawja Haris told the apex court that names of all the accused have been put on Exit Control List. He also said it seemed that certain police officials are giving cover to the influential absconding accused.

A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry heard a suo motu case regarding two brothers’ tortured death in Sialkot.

The CJ said if the accused are in the country they should have been arrested by now.

New Sialkot DPO Bilal Siddique told the court he wanted those police officers for the investigations who were not posted in the city before.

Siddique said former DPO has been nabbed and the absconding SHO will soon be taken into custody.

Later on, the hearing was adjourned till September 6.

Chief Justice slams police for inaction in lynching case in Sialkot.

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary has said that the Sialkot incident reflects that there is no rule of law in the country.

He made the statement while hearing the Sialkot lynching case in the Supreme Court today. The report of the inquiry commission on the incident was presented in the court.

The chief justice slammed the police for handing over the accused to a mob who killed them.

Sialkot DPO Bilal Siddique told the court that 23 out of 28 suspects have been arrested and 18 of them have been sent on a judicial remand.

He said that SHO Rana Ilyas who was involved in the case, escaped from police custody with the help of Sub Inspector Rasheed. Rasheed was then released on bail.

Six policemen sent on 7 day judicial remand

Six police officials including former Sialkot District Police Officer Waqar Chauhan have been sent on a seven day judicial remand in connection with the Sialkot lynching case.

Five other police officials including former DPO also appeared before the Gujranwala Anti-Terrorism Court today.

The policemen are accused of inaction during the lynching of two brothers Muneeb and Mughees.

However, the prime accused SHO Rana Ilyas has managed to evade arrest along with one other police officer.

Meanwhile, Justice retired Kazim Malik, who was appointed by the Supreme Court to conduct an inquiry into the incident, says the apex court will start hearing  the case from September 1

The Supreme Court began hearing Sialkot Case: Brothers innocent, evidence tampered, Judicial Inquiry Report

SIALKOT: The judicial inquiry in the Sialkot lynching case declared the murdered brothers as innocent and revealed that doctors had tampered with evidence.

The Supreme Court began hearing the Sialkot lynching case on Wednesday, and an inquiry report prepared by Justice (retired) Kazim Malik was submitted before the court.

The report asserted that the brothers were not robbers. It also said that medical officer Dr Farooq and investigation officer Shamsher Bokhari had destroyed vital evidence related to the case.

The report further suggested that a proper medical check up of the deceased brother should be conducted. It also recommended stern action against the medical and investigation officers.

The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing into the Sialkot lynching case till tomorrow.

Police, 1122 officials blame each other

Sialkot Police and Rescue 1122 reportedly blamed each other for the August 15 incident while recording their statements to the inquiry committee.

According to officials who were part of the investigations, Rescue 1122’s suspended officials told them that Rescue 1122 had repeatedly asked Saddar police officials to take custody of the brothers who had been handed over to Rescue 1122 officials by locals.

“The brothers were brought to the rescue office on Daska Road by people who said that they were suspects in an armed robbery,” said an official according to reports.

Rescue officials, while recording their statements, also said that the Sialkot Saddar Police had reached after a long delay.

It was a result of this delay that the infuriated mob had been able to storm into the Rescue 1122 station and taken the two suspects out on the road where they were beaten up, said officials of the inquiry committee.

On the other hand, police officials blamed Rescue 1122 personnel of being cowards and said that they should never have allowed the mob to grab hold of the youths.

Sialkot tragedy: Transfer/postings of police officials underway

SIALKOT: Transfers and postings of police officials are underway following the tragic incident of two brothers lynching in Sialkot on August 15.


According to police quarters, nothing including suspension, departmental inquiry and even trials in the past could change anything for the police officials who were seen holding their positions as it was.

After the brutal lynching of two brothers in Sialkot CSP officers were either suspended or removed. A number of similar instances had come up time after time in the past too in which police officials were awarded punishment on ineligibilities or derelictions. But nothing really improved on the long-term basis.

It appears as though the current action against the police officials will also prove to be a cosmetic touch up and fail to bring any concrete improvement in the functioning of our law enforcement agencies.

Sialkot lynching case probe moves forward

Additional IG Mushtaq Sukhera, head of joint investigation team probing the incident of lynching of two brothers has said that significant headway has been made and soon more arrests will be made.

Talking to Geo News after holding a meeting of the investigation team, Mushtaq Sukhera said that a good part of the probe has been completed and expressed confidence that the he will have it ready much ahead of the deadline given by the Supreme Court.

He said the suspended DPO Waqar Chauhan is also cooperating in the investigation and that he had got hold of some important evidence.

The Battle of Badr (Ghazwa-é-Badar) - a battle between Truth and falsehood (17 Ramadan 624 AD )

"The Muslim army was not more than 313-317 men while enemy have 1300 strong well-equipped, well trained solders with great number of horses and camels, Muslims have only two horses and 70 camels to ride. Most of them did not even possess simple weapons to fight; some had swords but no bows and arrows, while others possessed spears but no swords. The army was not well equipped, nor well prepared for war. Moreover, the Muslims were old, sick, starving and weak. But pleased with the words and willingness of the Sahabah to fight the disbelievers and putting all trust in Allah, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) marched towards the wells of Badr and Get victory, from after ward Islam spread to whole Arab countries and all over the world"

PLEASE SHARE IT TO YOUR FRIENDS... ALLAH BLESS YOU WITH SUCCESS! AMEEN!

ALL ACCUSED OF SIALKOT CASE ARRESTED (DAWN NEWS)

After the arrest of Gulzar Ahmed, the 17 suspects that were accused in the FIR report of participating in the Sialkot incident were also arrested.

Recently in Sialkot, two young boys were beaten and hung to death by a crowd while the police stood by and watched the incident take place.

After the arrest of Gulzar Ahmed, the 17 suspects that were accused in the FIR report of participating in the Sialkot incident were also arrested.

According to a Dawn correspondent, new developments of the case will be expected tomorrow. 

Police sources said among the arrested people included Muhammad Akram (33), who had tied the arms and legs of Muneeb Butt and Mughees Butt who were later lynched by a mob on pretext of their role in a robbery and murder in the village. 

Police quoted Akram as saying that he had got ropes from Rescue 1122 officials on Daska Road and tied up the hands and legs of the two brothers.

He said the village mob, infuriated at the death of their village fellow by some robbers on resistance, dragged the youths on various roads and later lynched them at Doburji Malhiyaan Chowk, a few yards from Rescue 1122 Sialkot station. 

Twenty-one people have been arrested by police in the case. Police have yet to arrest 14 policemen nominated in the case for their alleged role in the lynching. 

On Sunday, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had given a 48-hour deadline to police officials to arrest the fugitive police officials, which expired on Tuesday without any development. 

According to the first information report, then Sadar station house officer (SHO) Rana Ilyas, sub-inspector Gulzar Khan, four assistant sub-inspectors and eight constables showed negligence in the incident. Police arrested the SHO who later fled the police custody on Aug 21. 

Inspector General Tariq Saleem Dogar visited Sialkot late on Monday. He told reporters all accused would be dealt with iron fist. He said he was monitoring the investigation of the incident. 

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has suspended former Sialkot district police officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmad Chohan on the recommendations of Mr Sharif. 

A three-pronged inquiry is going on into the case. 
JI threats

Following alleged threats of violence by the public and Jamaat-i-Islami and Shabab-i-Milli activists, police have been deployed at village Buttar to avert any untoward incident. The families of the suspects have gone underground in a bid to avert their possible arrests. 

Senior police officials say they had got information that the public, including Jamaat-i-Islami and Shabab-i-Milli activists, might set the village on fire.

Judicial commission completes probeThe special judicial commission on Tuesday completed inquiry into the lynching tragedy.

Constituted by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, the commission will submit the report with its recommendations to the apex court.

The commission recorded the statements of more than 113 people, including members of the grieved family, police officials, journalists, doctors, Rescue 1122 officials and the district administration officials.

At a press conference, judicial commission head Justice Kazim Ali Malik (retired) said the probe was transparent and impartial. He said the apex court would bring the culprits to book.

Justice Kazim, the Anti-Corruption Punjab director general, said he would submit the report to the Supreme Court within a couple of days.

He said the report had details of inquiry and recommendations by the judicial commission.

Inquiry commission completes inquiry about the Sialkot Incident by Geo News

SIALKOT: Justice Kazim Ali Malik (retd), head of Supreme Court inquiry commission constituted to probe the barbaric incident of lynching of two brothers in Sialkot, has completed the inquiry into the incident.

During a press conference, he said that enough evidences have been collected to ascertain the truth.

However, he would submit the report to the Supreme Court, which is the only authority to give ruling in this regard.

He did not spell out any of the founding, saying that he is not authorised to reveal anything.

Sialkot brothers’ parent critic of probe body

SIALKOT: A joint investigative body, formed by Punjab Government, has commenced probe into murder of two brothers in Sialkot but their parent have voiced grave concerns over its impartiality, Geo News reported Monday.

The probe committee, headed by Additional IG Mushtaq Sukhera, met with parent of deceased Sialkot brothers here on Monday to record their viewpoint on murder case.

Subsequently, the head of investigation committee told Geo News no grace and leniency would be extended to anyone among involved suspects in case.

Head of committee said even if the suspended DPO of Sialkot Wiqar Chauhan was found guilty, he will be sent behind bars.

Parent of deceased brothers expressed dissatisfaction over Punjab governments probe body but were fully confident over impartiality of Judicial Inquiry Team of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

They said they will extend cooperation with SC’s Judicial Inquiry Team.

Rescue 1122 were involved in Sialkot murders by investigation officer. DAWN NEWS

"A member of the team investigating the Sialkot murders has said that the Rescue 1122 staff was involved in the boys’ lynching, television reports said on Thursday"

DIG Mubashar is a member of the team investigating the case in which two brothers were brutally murdered by a mob in Sialkot.

The mob attacked them after they were accused of carrying out an armed robbery and committing a murder.

Mubashar said the brothers, Mughees and Muneeb, had been handed over to the staff at Rescue 1122. He further said that Muneeb was injured and the staff at Rescue 1122 did not provide him with medical treatment.

If Muneeb had been shifted to the hospital, this incident might not have happened, Mubashar said, adding that Rescue 1122 staff was negligent of their duty.

Statements of more than 30 have been recorded during the initial investigation, DIG Mubashar said, adding that after the probe’s completion, a report will be presented to theATC.

FIRDOUS AWAN SAYS SIALKOT BOYS WERE CRIMINALS (THE BIG LIE) by The News

ISLAMABAD: More controversy has engulfed the barbaric killing of two brothers in Sialkot as now a federal minister says that the two victims of mob rage were not that innocent as being portrayed by the media.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Federal Minister for Population Welfare who also hails from Sialkot and this particular incident occurred in her own constituency, while talking to The News disclosed that she had met over five dozen villagers who were present when the incident took place and everyone had the same tale that these two boys were caught red-handed robbing the milk-seller brothers of whom one died the same day while the two sustained bullet injuries.
She said that all the politicians who visited Sialkot came for photo sessions only and condoled with the family of the two brothers but no one condoled with the family of Bilal, young innocent milk-seller who was killed by these two boys.
The federal minister said that the Supreme Court had constituted a commission to probe the incident so she would not directly give her own assessment. She, however, said that the recovered items from the boys included Rs65,000 cash; 17 National Identity Cards of various people; three different number plates of motor bikes and over hundred bullets.
Firdous said that the father of the two boys did not speak for three days after the death of his only two sons and on 18th August the uncle of the boys, Amjad Butt had to file the FIR with the police station. "His silence for three days is also meaningful," the minister held saying the father was even reluctant to receive the dead bodies.
"Forty-eight people have submitted their affidavits saying they were looted by the same two brothers who were being portrayed as innocent by the media," said Firdous Awan complaining that the media ran one-way traffic without highlighting the other side of the incident.
"I condoled with both the families and would appeal to the chief minister and Mian Nawaz Sharif not to play politics with the dead bodies and they should also visit the house of Bilal who was killed the same day in the morning when those two brothers were killed."
She said that the visitors told her whosoever recognized the boys, he/she threw shoes at the dead bodies of the two brothers saying he/she was looted by these two boys. 
"Police say that these boys used to rob the people on Saturdays and Sundays and on the same road because the main bazaar was nearby and the villagers carried cash to the market and were the soft targets," said Firdous adding: "The DPO thanked the people who killed the boys saying that these youths had given tough time to the police."
While explaining the incident Firdous said that the villagers had arrested the boys on the spot and brought them in the office of Rescue 1122 and it was announced in the mosques of village Butter that dacoits had been arrested so the whole village gathered in front of Rescue 1122 office. In the meantime a call from the hospital saying that the boy attacked by these two youths had died made the mob furious.
She said that in no way the brutal killing of those two boys could be termed a right act but one had to see why the mob acted so brutally.
Firdous said that she met an old lady who showed her torn ears saying that the two boys had snatched her gold earrings a week before their murder and when they were killed she also threw shoes at them after recognizing that they were the same who had looted her.
It is worth mentioning here that the Police Station Saddar, Sialkot confirmed that bullets and number plates and other things were recovered from these boys.
Zarar Butt, the uncle of the ill-fated boys told this correspondent that his nephews were innocent and only one incident of fighting had come to his knowledge with the boys of village, where they were killed and the brawl took place on a cricket match.
One eyewitness belonging to a government department had come to fore saying that the two young boys were innocent. Muhammad Shaukat, In charge Rescue 1122 station where this gruesome incident happened and who watched the whole incident, said that the two boys were innocent and it seemed that the opponents, who later transformed into a crazy mob, had been waiting for long to teach them a lesson.

Two police, 5 other killers of Sialkot brothers nabbed

SIALKOT: Police claimed to have arrested two police officers and five others who were present at a time when two young brothers were being beaten to death in Sialkot in public, Geo News reported Saturday. According to police sources, police contingents have stepped up crackdowns with a view to apprehend six other police officials who were not only witnessing barbaric torture being perpetrated upon two innocent young brothers, which led to their death, but they also allowed killing by not interfering. DPO Sialkot said five suspects involved in torturing both the brothers have been rounded up too. It may be mentioned, two youths – real brothers and students, were beaten to death with baton in a broad day light in public while eight policemen were present and subsequently, their dead bodies were hanged upside down position at a chowke in Sialkot on Friday. Meanwhile, SHO police, alleged mastermind of killing of two brothers, has fled away and is still at large, police sources said.

                                                                          

Executed two brothers at DPO Sialkot behest: Accused

Shams Ali, one of the accused involved in the barbaric killing of two-brothers in Sialkot has claimed that he carried out the murders at the behest of DPO Sialkot Waqar Chauhan.

He quoted the DPO as saying, “Go ahead and kill both them. Police will claim the responsibility of the two-brother’ death and declare it a result of an encounter.”

Shams Ali, one of the men involved in the ghastly act of publicly killing the two-brothers’ Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb Sajjad said that his 12-year old nephew also sustained injuries as a result of firing occurred before the episode of torture on the brothers.

The whole scene of barbarism was carried out `at the behest of DPO Sialkot Waqar Chauhan’, Shams claimed

WE WANT JUSTICE...Express Tribune

What brought on the animalistic instinct of the executors and the crowds of wide-eyed onlookers? Who were the crowd around the two bleeding, flailing bodies, as the young men were thrashed repeatedly and mercilessly?

As reported in a daily English paper, one of the accused said that the DPO, Waqar Chohan, present on the scene goaded the accused into partaking in the violence by saying “Go ahead and kill both of them. The police will claim responsibility for the killings and declare it a police encounter.”

But even if Chohan didn’t give his verbal approval, his presence during the lynching along with the other cops provided a silent nod of approval for the murderers to carry out their fury.

The police’s indifferent presence merely fueled the fire.

Acts of murder and violence carried out by wrathful mobs have been taking place for centuries. The French Revolution, the brutality that followed through the partition of India and Pakistan, groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazi gangs, religious fundamentalist groups, mobs of ordinary citizens who raise bloody murder against their governments, against other rival groups, against minorities – the list is endless.

Given this horrifying case, the question really is this: Why in God’s name did no one try to stop the atrocity from taking place? Why weren’t Mughees and Muneeb rescued?

Scottish journalist, Charles Mackay, in his book, ‘Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds’, says:

“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.”

From a psychological perspective, men resorting to ‘herd behaviour’ begin replicating acts that the rest of the ‘herd’ is carrying out.

For an individual, being part of a mob, means having a sort of sub-conscious security that no harm will befall him as he is one with the mob.

Sigmund Freud’s crowd behaviour theory sheds light on how when individuals act collectively as a group, their enthusiasm is increased, leading to a breakdown in individual thinking.

This allows collective thinking and a collective approach to overrule. Therefore, the individual stands blinded. He is stripped naked of his self-awareness for those fleeting minutes or hours and this is when he allows himself to be ‘led’ by the herd.

Regarding mob psychology and crowd behaviour, the theories are numerous and intriguing. Once studied, the motives behind heinous acts of violence on innocent people by mobs can be better understood.

Regarding Mughees and Muneeb, justice must follow through swiftly. Or else, tomorrow other victims like Mughees and Muneeb can fall prey to acts of violence in an already ruptured society.