Pakistani shrine keeper arrested, charged with murder

The custodian of the Ali Muhammad Gujjar shrine, Abdul Waheed, has been charged with murder after drugging 20 of his devotees before beating them with sticks and stabbing them to death late on Saturday.

Waheed and two others were arrested outside the Ali Muhammad Gujjar shrine near Sargodha in the Punjab province by local police.

“They [the trio] will be presented in court today [Monday] for us to obtain a judicial order for physical custody, so that we can continue our investigation,” local police officer Nusrat Ali told Al Jazeera.

“A terrorism charge has been included in the charge sheet.”

Reports say the 50-year-old Waheed told police he killed the worshippers because he thought they might kill him one day.

According to local police officer Shaukat Manzoor who spoke with Al Jazeera, the shrine custodian who appeared to suffer from mental instability, “drugged everyone who was at the shrine, to have his way”.

Initial reports indicated there were no survivors from the attack but local police officials later said at least two people are being treated at a local hospital.

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