A dispute over a WhatsApp group membership turned fatal in Peshawar, Pakistan, as a man allegedly shot and killed the administrator of a community chat after being removed from the group.

The tragic incident occurred on Thursday evening in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan that has a long history of sectarian violence.

The victim, Mushtaq Ahmed, was reportedly gunned down by a man identified as Ashfaq, who has since been charged with murder, according to police records seen by AFP.

Mushtaq’s brother, in a statement cited by AFP, said the conflict started when Ashfaq was removed from the WhatsApp group following an argument. Hoping to resolve their differences, both men agreed to meet. However, the meeting turned deadly.

“Mushtaq had invited him for reconciliation, but instead of settling the issue peacefully, Ashfaq arrived armed and opened fire, killing my brother,” the bereaved sibling alleged.

Police confirmed that Ashfaq was reportedly angered by his expulsion from the WhatsApp group, leading to the violent act. {tropicreporters}