There is confusion among the police about the killing of five intelligence officials at the hands of a combined band of criminals and hardened sectarian hard boyz who lived at Pir Chambal shrine located in one of the remotest parts of the Chakwal district.This lack of clarity was also reflected in the media coverage of the incident.
Some reports claimed that the intelligence officials were killed after a shootout between them and the criminals in which a proclaimed offender, `Dr Arshad`, was also eliminated. However,
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during a visit to the scene on Monday, it was impossible to find any trace, evidence or testimony of any shootout. In fact, many locals expressed astonishment over the killing, some even saying the movement of the intelligence officials appeared odd.
Pir Chambal is a perfect hideout for criminals who in this case became linked to the hard boyz belonging to Lashkar-i-Jhangvi who possibly came to the area after escaping the army operation in tribal areas.
"The men had been moving around for about a year and had local contacts; they even used cellphones for maintaining food and water supplies to the hilltop," said a police official at Pind Dadan Khan.
Regarding the intelligence officials, he said the police were never taken into confidence by federal intelligence agencies."But it is strange to note that the officials were reportedly going up in a double cabin. Even if the hard boyz did not have any prior information, such movement can be seen from a safe distance due to the terrain," the police official said. Respected by locals for generations, many come to pay homage at the saint. The shrine is so remote that it is not even listed in the records of the revenue department. "Undoubtedly, it is a very old place but there is no mention of it in our records," said the local patwari.
The place also allowed the hard boyz to operate in a mafia-like manner, collecting money and supplies from the adjoining coal and salt mines.
Pir Chambal is located at the hilltop overlooking Pind Dadan Khan, a tehsil of Jhelum district, but the hills fall under the jurisdiction of Chakwal district and it takes hours for the coppers from Choa Syedan Shah to reach the shrine. Only half of the long unpaved way to the hilltop is possible in a four-wheeler and the remaining part has to be covered by foot or on a donkey.
A local from the Gharibwal village said the men were involved in extortion and even kidnapping for ransom. "Some six months back, one of them came on a cycle of violence demanding heavy amount from a local businessman but the meeting ended in a brawl and the man took out a gun," said A. Gondal.
"As the market people gathered, the man had to flee by firing in the air, leaving the cycle of violence behind which was set on fire."Police officials from Pind Dadan Khan in Jhelum and Choa Syedan Shah in Chakwal said they did not have the manpower, equipment and even the authority to launch an operation against such men holed up in the hills.
"Had these criminals/hard boyz not killed police personnel, nobody would have taken the issue seriously," said a police officer from Pind Dadan Khan.
The police officials said the last reported contact by the intelligence officials was at 11am on Friday and the bodies were recovered from the scene at 3pm on Saturday.
"It leaves enough time for the criminals and beturbanned goons to disappear and may be not all the some three dozen men are at one place; they might be moving individually."
Several arrests have been made and the authorities are also using the support of mobile companies to trace the escapees.
However,
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the locals are also angry at the men not only due to their criminal activities but also for desecrating the shrine. A vast majority of the locals belong to the Barelvi faith with a sizable minority of Shias also living in the adjoining tehsils. Both the groups respect shrines and there is negligible sectarian tension in the area.