Microsoft Professional record holder Pakistani teen now facing murder charges over land dispute

PESHAWAR – In a shocking incident from the country’s northwestern region Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Babar Iqbal – Pakistan’s tech prodigy – is facing murder charges over double homicide.

A murder case was registered with the Cant Police Station in the Qayyumabad area of DI Khan on Monday against Bilal Iqbal, who once etched his name in history books by being certified as the youngest Microsoft software engineer.

It all started over a land dispute of a 12-marla plot as labourers identified as Amanullah and Mohammad Arshad was attacked on Friday, December 30 and later succumbed to gun wounds, per the FIR.

The complainant Mohammad Sajid, son of the deceased, filed the case with the Cantt police station and nominated Babar Iqbal, accusing him of killing his father. Reportedly, the deceased father was an employee of Mehboob, the current owner of the plot, and lived in the said area.

Sajid told cops that besides killing his father and another man, Babar also injured employees working at the site.

Babar and plot owner Mehboob developed a dispute over ownership of the plot, however, the exact matter is yet to be unearthed.

Following the attack, Babar escaped the area with his mother as police raided the vacated house located in the same locality.

Double murder charges on the teen boy, who bagged the Microsoft Certified Professional Award at the age of 9, have shocked the citizens.

Babar once bagged prestigious accolades for becoming the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in the world at age 9 and being the youngest Certified Internet Web Professional Associate (CIWA).

At the age of 10, he became the Youngest Certified Wireless Network Administrator and the Youngest Microsoft Student Partner (MSP) at age 11. The tech geek, whose sibling reportedly lived in Europe and Britain, became the Youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) in NET 3.5 at age 12.