WhatsApp admin killed for removing member from group in Pakistan

A man in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was shot dead for removing a member from a WhatsApp group on Friday (Mar 7). Mushtaq Ahmed, who was the admin of a group on the messaging app, and Ashfaq Khan, the accused, had an altercation over a matter. The family of the victim believes it was a trivial matter that led to the killing of Ahmed.

The incident took place in KP's Regi, located on the outskirts of Peshawar, which is near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

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While speaking to news outlet Arab News, the victim's brother, Humayun Khan said that he was present when the two were embroiled in an argument. He said that he wasn't quite aware of how it unfolded and what led to the killing of his brother. All he knew was that Ashfaq's removal from WhatsApp had infuriated and triggered him.

“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. It was a non-issue or a very trivial matter. No one in our family even knew about the dispute at all," Humayun was quoted by the publication.

This incident highlighted how trivial online issues are turning fatal. The local police mentioned the brother of the victim had come to the police station and lodged a complaint. In the report, the police mentioned that both individuals were seemingly looking to put the matter to rest and were in the process of reconciling. But in a sudden twist, Ashfaq pulled out a gun to shoot Mushtaq.

The suspect escaped from the crime scene after shooting the victim; the police are conducting a search operation to nab him.