Layyah police have arrested a student of grade 9 for cutting off his cousin Saima Bibi’s nose and lips with a sharp instrument. STOCK PHOTO
Lodhran DPO Asad Sarfraz told reporters on Wednesday that Saqaib Ali and Wajid Ali had stabbed their sister and her husband for marrying against the family’s wishes.
Sarfraz said Sakina*, a resident of Chak 10-BC, Bahawalpur district, had married Ansar Aslam, a resident of the same area, a few months ago. Sakina’s family had arranged for her to marry someone else but she had rejected their proposal. The DPO said four months ago, Sakina and Aslam had moved away from the village as they had feared for their lives.
Saqib Ali had tracked them down and had assured them that he had accepted their decision. DPO Sarfraz said that he had started living with his sister and her husband for some time. Saqib Ali had promised them that he would try to soften their parents’ hearts towards them, he said.
Wajid Ali, however, had opposed the marriage and had tried to persuade Saqib Ali to “do something about it”, the DPO said.
On Tuesday, Saqib Ali offered Sakina and Aslam food mixed with a poisonous substance. The two fainted after eating the food.
Wajid Ali and Saqib Ali then stabbed the two and killed them.
Sarfraz said, “This is an ‘honour’ killing…the woman’s family had not accepted the marriage.”
Lodhran city SHO Rana Muhammad Idrees said they had registered a murder case and had arrested Saqib Ali. He said they were still looking for Wajid Ali.
He said they had taken the bodies to a hospital for post-mortem examination.
Disfiguring for ‘honour’
Layyah police have arrested a student of grade 9 for cutting off his cousin Saima Bibi’s nose and lips with a sharp instrument. Police have obtained a four-day physical remand to interrogate the boy.
Police said Saima Bibi, 25, a divorcee, was asleep at her house in Chak 347-TDA, Chaubara, when her 14-year-old cousin had attacked her.
Layyah DPO Muhammad Ali Zia said the boy had confessed to the crime. “He said that Saima Bibi had a ‘bad’ character.” Zia said that told the police his cousin had affairs with several youths from the area. “My classmates would make fun of me…I was ashamed of being related to her.” He claimed that Saima Bibi’s husband had divorced her for the same reason.
The DPO said they had registered a case on a complaint filed by the woman’s father. He said she was taken to the Layyah District Headquarters Hospital in a critical condition.
Dr Aftab Ahmed Sheikh at the District Headquarters Hospital said a part of Saima Bibi’s chin had also been cut off. “Her condition is critical. She has lost a lot of blood.”
*Names have been changed to protect identity
Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2016.
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