Man slaughtered by stepsons

Suspects were motivated by their displeasure with their mother’s second marriage

LODHRAN:

Two men allegedly killed their stepfather in Chak 346.

According to local people, 55-year-old Khadim Hussain was killed by his stepsons due to animosity over his second marriage. The deceased had contracted his second marriage with the mother of the suspects two months ago.

The victim was attacked by Jalal and Hashim, as he was standing outside the house with Allah Ditta. Khadim was stabbed in the back of his neck, his arm and leg with a knife.

When the victim and Allah Ditta attempted to apprehend the suspects, they fled the scene while hurling threats.

Khadim was taken to the tehsil headquarters hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to his injuries.

The son of the deceased, Khalid Mahmood, said that the suspects had allegedly made prior attempts to kidnap and murder the victim.

Saddar police reached the spot and shifted the body for postmortem examination. The police registered a case against the suspects under section 302 and 34 of Pakistan Penal Code upon the complaint of Khalid Mehmood.

District Police Officer (DPO) Kashif Aslam said that police had arrested the suspects.

This is not the first instance of a murder being driven by animosity about a second marriage. In February 2017, a woman was allegedly shot dead by her two sons in Faisalabad, reportedly over their dissatisfaction with her contracting a second marriage.

The victim, 42-year-old Zubaida Bibi, was married to Muhammad Liaquat Ali around 23 years ago and the couple had six children.

In November 2015, she divorced her husband and contracted a second marriage with 42-year-old Gulzar Ahmad, he ex-husband’s brother, who lived in an adjacent house.

This infuriated her sons, Muhummad Kashif and Muhummad Rafaqat. Kashif was not happy with the divorce and subsequent second marriage.

He and Rafaqat allegedly shot their mother dead when she was asleep at home. Police shifted the body to Tehsil Headquarter Jaranwala for an autopsy.

Investigations Officer Sub-Inspector Muhammad Afzal said that Zubaida was unhappy with her former husband and got divorced. She then married Gulzar Ahmad, who lost his wife to cancer a few years back.

A case was registered under Section 302 PPC, upon the complaints of Gulzar Ahmad.

In some instances, killings occur in order to facilitate a second marriage. In Lodhran in August of last year, a man allegedly strangled his wife to death, with the help of his brother and father, to fulfill his desire of contracting a second marriage.

The victim was the suspect’s maternal cousin and the couple married 10 years ago, going on to have two children.

According to police, Abdul Aziz registered a case in Karor Pakka police station, stating that his sister Allah Bachai, married to Muhammad Iqbal Abdullah had been murdered.

The complainant said that his sister had been ill for some time, which caused frequent quarrels with Iqbal. At about 1am, the complainant heard the victim shouting for help. When he reached the spot, he saw Iqbal’s brother, Bilal and father, Abdullah, holding the victim’s legs and arms, while Iqbal sat on her chest and strangled her with a cloth.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2022.