Man kills infant daughter ‘to please second wife’

Alcoholic and unemployed, Tariq said she kept him awake at night.

BAHAWALPUR:

A man in Lahore divorced his first wife and killed his three-year old daughter, allegedly to please his second wife.

According to police officials in Lahore, Tariq, an unemployed alcoholic, killed his three-year old daughter Maheen and then brought her in to a hospital. It is unclear whether he admitted to killing Maheen at the hospital or whether this was determined by hospital staff, but doctors called the police who then arrested Tariq for murder.

At the police station, Tariq confessed to the crime and said he had killed his daughter because she disturbed his sleep at night.

Tariq married Maheen’s mother Saima ten years ago and had initially lived in Bahawalpur. Two years ago, the couple, along with their infant daughter, moved to Lahore.

Tariq wanted Saima to become an actress at local theatres, since his sisters were already in that profession. Saima, however, refused, at which point she said that Tariq became abusive and married his second wife, Shaheen. She said that Tariq threatened to kill her on several occasions.

About one month ago, Tariq divorced Saima but refused to allow her custody of Maheen. Saima moved back to Bahawalpur but filed a lawsuit against Tariq for keeping her away from her daughter.

According to Saima, her divorce and Maheen’s murder are both linked to Tariq’s desire to please his second wife Shaheen.

Police officials in Lahore have registered a case againstg Tariq for murdering his daughter. It is unclear if he was sober when he committed the act.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2011.