Police announced on Saturday that a Pakistani man had been charged with murder after shooting a WhatsApp moderator who kicked him out of the conversation.
Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a region that borders Afghanistan and has a history of violent sectarian conflict, was the scene of Mushtaq Ahmed’s shooting death Thursday night.
A man named only as Ashfaq has been charged with his murder, according to police documents seen by AFP and a local police official.
Mushtaq allegedly kicked Ashfaq out of the WhatsApp group following an argument, according to a statement by Mushtaq’s brother seen by AFP.
He said that both parties had arranged to meet and reconcile but alleges that Ashfaq turned up with a gun and opened fire, killing his brother.
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Ashfaq was angry “in reaction to removal from WhatsApp group,” according to his statement. The availability of firearms, the influence of tribal customs, and sometimes weak law enforcement contribute to the frequency of such incidents.
