Crime against women: Woman ‘killed by brother’, over alleged elopement

They said her throat had been cut and there were bruises and injuries on the body. The body was sent for a post-mortem examination. Police said they found two knives on the scene and seized them. They said the woman was apparently killed with those knives. A case was registered against the woman’s brother on the compliant of her husband, who claimed that his brother-in-law had called him and confessed to the killing. Bhatti had returned to Pakistan in January after his family informed him about Fatima’s elopement.

Police said Kaneez Fatima, 45, was married to Muhammad Boota Bhatti, a resident of Kotli Sahiyan, some 25 years ago. They had six children. Police said two years ago, Bhatti went to South Africa for work. He used to visit home twice a year. They said, during this time, Fatima allegedly started an affair with a man in the neighbourhood. Her family said that she eloped with him on December 23, 2012, leaving her children behind. Police said her brother Ibrar Haider, a resident of Alipur Chattha, had been looking for her. Her parents said he had threatened to kill her if he found her. They said a few days ago he had told them that he had traced her cell phone number. They said he had been calling her and asking her to return but she wanted a divorce from Bhatti. They said he promised to help and called her to his house. They said he had told her that he would accompany her to her in-laws’s home and talk to Bhatti. However, they said, instead of taking her there, he killed her on the way and abandoned the body in the street.

On Monday, her husband registered a case against Haider, saying that he had called him on his cell phone and informed him about the incident. Bhatti told the police that he also told him where he had dumped the body. A few minutes later when he reached the scene, he said he found that the police were already there.

Police said Haider was missing.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2013.