A man and a woman were shot dead on Thursday allegedly by the woman’s father shortly after they left a court after getting married without the consent of her family.
Police said Rasheeda Bibi, a resident of Kikri village, and her husband Munawar Hussain of Chak 55-P in Basti Balochan near Rahim Yar Khan, married at a court on Thursday morning.
After they left the magistrate’s office, 25 people stopped them near tehsil council’s office put them in a car and took them away.
Police quoted the witnesses as saying that the woman’s father, Muhammad Sultan, was present and that he was armed.
They said the couple was taken to a dera, where they were shot dead. Their bodies were left there as the assailants fled.
Sadiqabad ASP Zeeshan Siddiqi said that an FIR had bee registered against nine men. Seven of them had been nominated by the deceased man’s uncle.
The ASP said that the woman’s father, Muhammad Sultan, and another man, Gul Sher, had been arrested. He said Sultan had confessed to the killings.
A pistol was recovered from him, the ASP added.
Police said they were looking for the rest of the suspects. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
The ASP said that initial investigation had revealed that Sultan had filed a kidnapping case against Hussain’s father and brother last week saying that they had kidnapped his daughter.
Earlier on Thursday, the magistrate had dismissed the case after Rasheeda Bibi told the court that she had married Hussain of her free will.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2013.