PESHAWAR: A man was shot and killed in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province after he removed another man from his WhatsApp group, police and the victim’s brother said on Saturday, in what appears to be the first case of its kind.
The incident occurred in Regi, a rundown locality on the outskirts of Peshawar, on Friday evening, bringing to light the dangerous consequences of seemingly minor online disputes.
The suspect, Ashfaq Khan, opened fire on WhatsApp group administrator Mushtaq Ahmed after an altercation over the removal of the former from the latter’s WhatsApp group.
Humayun Khan, the victim’s brother, told Arab News that he was present at the scene when Khan opened fire on his brother, saying they were not aware of the details of the altercation.
“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,” Humayun said.
“It was a non-issue or a very trivial matter. No one in our family even knew about the dispute at all.”
Abid Khan, a local police officer, said the brother of the deceased had lodged a complaint with police, accusing Khan of fatally shooting Ahmed.
The police report says both parties were in the process of reconciliation, when the suspect suddenly opened fire and killed the WhatsApp group admin.
Abid said the suspect fled the scene after shooting Ahmed dead and police were conducting raids to apprehend him.
The shooting has ignited a broader online discussion, with many social media users expressing sorrow over the incident during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Many users emphasized that one of the purposes of fasting in Ramadan is to cultivate self-restraint.
WhatsApp group admin shot dead in northwest Pakistan for allegedly removing member
https://arab.news/nza8h
WhatsApp group admin shot dead in northwest Pakistan for allegedly removing member
- The shooting in the holy fasting month of Ramadan has ignited a broader online discussion
- Netizens emphasize one of the purposes of fasting in Ramadan is to cultivate self-restraint
IMF hails Pakistan privatization drive, calls PIA sale a ‘milestone’
- Fund backs sale of national airline as key step in divesting loss-making state firms
- IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce fiscal burden posed by state-owned entities
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday welcomed Pakistan’s privatization efforts, describing the sale of the country’s national airline to a private consortium last month as a milestone that could help advance the divestment of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The comments follow the government’s sale of a 75 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group for Rs 135 billion ($486 million) after several rounds of bidding in a competitive process, marking Islamabad’s second attempt to privatize the carrier after a failed effort a year earlier.
Between the two privatization attempts, PIA resumed flight operations to several international destinations after aviation authorities in the European Union and Britain lifted restrictions nearly five years after the airline was grounded following a deadly Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in 2020 that killed 97 people.
“We welcome the authorities’ privatization efforts and the completion of the PIA privatization process, which was a commitment under the EFF,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, said in response to an Arab News query, referring to the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
“This privatization represents a milestone within the authorities’ reform agenda, aimed at decreasing governmental involvement in commercial sectors and attracting investments to promote economic growth in Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce the fiscal burden posed by loss-making state firms, which have weighed public finances for years and required repeated government bailouts. Beyond PIA, the government has signaled plans to restructure or sell stakes in additional SOEs as part of broader reforms under the IMF program.
Privatization also remains politically sensitive in Pakistan, with critics warning of job losses and concerns over national assets, while supporters argue private sector management could improve efficiency and service delivery in chronically underperforming entities.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises said on Friday that SOEs recorded a net loss of Rs 122.9 billion ($442 million) in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with a net loss of Rs 30.6 billion ($110 million) in the previous year.
