Airman kills seven

In an incident that is said to have shaken the Pakistan air force, an airman shot dead seven colleagues at the Sargodha airbase.

The PAF officer, Mohammed Nasir, in his twenties, is said to have been engaged in a game of carom with some colleagues late on Tuesday night.

The game continued into the early hours of yesterday. During the game, which involves two to four players at any one time, it is reported that a row erupted, possibly over an alleged violation of rules.

Following this, Nasir apparently went wild, pulled out his official revolver and shot at those present in the room.

Six are said to have died instantly, while a seventh died yesterday at a hospital. Those killed have not been identified. Two of those killed were officers of the PAF while the others were also air force men serving at the Sargodha base.

The base in the central Punjab city is one of the largest in the country and a highly prestigious one with topnotch facilities. It may also be noted that while gambling of any kind is banned in the country and is a practice regarded as un-Islamic, small bets on board games, cards and so on are popular, particularly among young men.

It is, however, not known if any financial matter was involved in the unusual row. The incident is the first of its kind within the PAF, which sees itself as a disciplined and extremely well-run outfit. It is also regarded as the most prestigious of the armed forces units, with tough entry tests.

An initial attempt was made to cover up the incident. However, as rumours spread, PAF's wing commander Shuja Alam confirmed "some people have died in an incident," while declining to provide further details.