Suspect behaviour: Sisters gunned down for making phone calls

Cops say Nadeem thought his sisters were having an affair, father says he was mad his food wasn’t served on time.

BAHAWALPUR:

A man was accused of murdering his two younger sisters on suspicion of their having had an affair on Tuesday.

According to police officials, Hasilpur Chak No 13 resident Nadeem killed his two younger sisters after he suspected both of having relations with two men in the village. “Nadeem had heard a rumor that both of his sisters were in a relationship with two local residents,” said a neighbour Bilal Shah.

Samreen, 22, and Parveen, 20, were both shot while they were at home working in the kitchen and Nadeem fled the scene.

Their neighbour Hashim told The Express Tribune that somebody had been spreading rumours about both women in the village. “Nadeem was misled regarding their character. Nadeem was in prison until a week ago in a robbery case and when he was released someone taunted him about his sisters’ ‘activities’ while he had been away. Then he killed them,” he said.

Nadeem’s father Falak Sher said that both of his daughters were working in the kitchen, when Nadeem reached home and told them to serve him lunch immediately. “They said that they were still making lunch and asked him to wait for fifteen minutes. When they went back to the kitchen he pulled out the gun and shot them,” Sher told police.

“I don’t know of any accusations against my girls. They were both of good character and they were killed because of his temper,” he said.

According to the Hasilpur Saddar Investigation Officer Liaqat Ali, the police had lodged an FIR under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against Nadeem and were searching for his whereabouts.

“We have found evidence that both girls were talking on their cell phone in the kitchen when Nadeem went inside. He probably suspected them of calling some men and shot them,” Ali said. Police officials are still investigating the details of the case.

“There is evidence that Nadeem killed his sisters on suspicion but their father denies these charges. He says Nadeem lost his temper because his food wasn’t served on time,” Ali said.

Police have sent the bodies of both girls for an autopsy and are searching for Nadeem’s whereabouts.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2012.