Pakistani Father Kills Son for Hoisting Flag of Imran Khan's PTI in Peshawar

Peshawar - Amid the brewing political turmoil in Pakistan, a distressing incident occurred in Peshawar when a father killed his son after he hoisted a flag of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf. According to Gulf Today, an argument broke out between the father and son over their political affiliations. After the son returned from working in Qatar, he decided to hoist the flag of the former Pakistani Prime Minister's party at the family home on the outskirts of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is pertinent to note that the country is heading towards general elections which have left the country divided now more than ever before. 

"The father prohibited his son from hoisting the PTI flag at home, but the son refused to take it down and abandon PTI," District police official Naseer Farid told local reporters. “The argument escalated, and in a fit of anger, the father fired a pistol at his 31-year-old son, before fleeing the house,” he added. According to Gulf Today, the son died on the way to the hospital. The initial reports also suggested that the father was associated with the Awami National Party (ANP), while the son was a supporter of PTI. 

The rise in political polarisation in Pakistan

The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the community and indicated the polarising aspects of the Pakistani politics. According to Gulf Today, the father fled the crime scene after killing the son and law enforcement is still on the lookout. Elections which are scheduled to take place on February 8 are often marred with political violence in Pakistan with political candidates often getting targetted by bombings and gun attacks. Meanwhile, the PTI supremo, Imran Khan, is still serving a prison sentence in the Toshakhana case and is navigating through other legal battles. Amid all the chaos, Khan has accused the ruling regime of hurling baseless allegations against him, insisting that everything is part of the “London plan”. Meanwhile, Khan's critics have accused him of radicalising his supporters and supported their argument by referring to the May 9 violence which erupted after Khan's arrest in the Al Qadir Case.