Pakistan police arrest man for killing WhatsApp group admin

Police in Pakistan's Peshawar have arrested a man accused of killing a WhatsApp group administrator after being removed from the group, authorities said.

Mukhtar Ali, superintendent of police (SP) for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Warsak Division, confirmed the arrest, identifying the suspect as Ashfaq. He was taken into custody from Regi area.

“He allegedly shot and killed the group admin, Mushtaq, two days ago over a dispute after being removed from the WhatsApp group. The complaint was filed by the victim’s stepbrother, Humayun,” Ali said.

During the initial investigation, Ashfaq reportedly confessed to the crime, and said that he was angry on his removal from the WhatsApp group." Police said that further inquiries are still underway.

Sher Alam Khan, the investigation officer, told Nukta that the WhatsApp group was created to discuss tribal and family matters, with Mushtaq serving as the admin.

“On the day of the incident, the accused, Ashfaq, used inappropriate language during a discussion, prompting Mushtaq to remove him from the group,” Khan said.

Earlier that day, the two men had a verbal altercation after encountering each other in person, but bystanders intervened to defuse the situation, the officer said.

“Later, after Iftar, as Humayun was accompanying his brother Mushtaq to settle the dispute, Ashfaq opened fire on them, resulting in Mushtaq’s death,” Khan added.

Police presented Ashfaq before a judicial magistrate’s court, which granted a two-day physical remand and handed him over to police for further investigation.