Abbottabad burning case: Girl who eloped denies any ties with victim

Girl did not know victim, latter did not help her elope

ABBOTABAD: The investigation of Abbottabad police came under fire when Syra*, who was the principal cause of the burning of a 16-year-old girl in Makol Payeen village in Galiyat, refused to acknowledge the victim as a friend or that the latter played any role in her elopement.

Syra, the daughter of Muhammad Safdar, was speaking to the media from an undisclosed location. The father is one of the 15 people charged directly by the police for the burning of the teenager. The girl’s charred body was found from a burnt van parked outside the village during the early hours of April 29.

Requesting anonymity, an Abbottabad police officer said evidence suggested the girl was burnt to hide the fact that she was raped and was pregnant.

The officer, with 20 years of experience in dealing with such cases, said there could be no other reason behind setting the victim ablaze as the family had no enemies.



Syra claimed they were not friends and only met once at a wedding even though they hailed from the same village. “She has nothing to do with my love affair or elopement,” Syra said. “I ran from my home on April 23 without any help.”

She added they were neither class fellows nor went to the same seminary or school. She asked the government to provide security as her own family was constantly threatening her life.

Meanwhile, another police officer, commenting on the development, said he was unaware on whether the two girls were friends. However, evidence suggested Syra was the main cause of the girl’s killing.

(*Name changed to protect identity)

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2016.