Bilal Kaka, the 27-year-old from Hyderabad who was killed after a quarrel with restaurant owners escalated into a gunfight earlier this week, had 12 first information reports (FIR) registered against him at different police stations of Hyderabad.

Of the 12 FIRs, six include section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code that pertains to attempt to murder. Six of the FIRS are lodged at the Naseem Nagar police station, two are registered at the Tando Jam police station, with four more at other precincts in the city. All FIRs have multiple sections ranging from attempt to murder (324), common intention (34), assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty (353), wrongful restraint (341), rioting (147) while armed with deadly weapon (148), unlawful assembly (149) and sedition (124-A) among others.

The incident has resulted in ethnic tensions, with reports of groups of people forcing restaurants and tea shops owned by Pashtuns to close down. Videos of such incidents have already surfaced and being widely shared on social media.

In another video, a man whose face is visible in the video, is demanding the shopkeeper to shut down his tea outlet during the ‘live’ video that was being streamed.

The shopkeeper is warned that there would be dire consequences if the outlet were to open again. The speaker then resorts to hate speech.

Similar cases are being reported from areas where Sindhis are in a majority, including in urban centres.

Another blurry video shows armed men refusing people from specific ethnic groups to enter the province. It purportedly shows Pashtoons being told to return to neighbouring Balochistan from where they had arrived on an inter-city bus.

The incident and the ensuing backlash was triggered after the killing of Bilal Kaka in a clash at a restaurant on the Hyderabad bypass on Monday.

It is not clear what triggered the clash. There have been claims that Bilal Kaka was a notorious character who had a habit of refusing to pay. Others say that it escalated after complaints over the taste.

Witnesses said that men armed with iron rods attacked each other and bullets started flying with one hitting Bilal, fatally.

A police mobile was also present near the hotel, but despite the firing and altercation, they did not intervene.

On Tuesday, Bilal’s family members staged a sit-in on the Hyderabad bypass, with his body. Due to the sit-in, the flow of traffic on the national highway was affected. On the report of the sit-in, SSP Hyderabad Amjad Sheikh rushed to the spot and negotiated with the protesters and assured the registration of an FIR

The FIR includes provisions on attempted murder and terrorism, and six unidentified persons, including four accused, have been named.

Police arrested one of the accused, identified as Shahsawar and Haji Sahab. His photo, behind bars with a black eye and a swollen face, was widely shared on social media as well.