Toddler killed, mother injured in family feud

Brother-in-law of the woman blamed for the deadly shooting

KARACHI:

In a heart-wrenching incident, a toddler was killed and her mother critically injured in a shooting incident in Gulshan-e-Noor locality of Surjani Town on Thursday.

According to police, three-year-old Jannat Amir lost her life, while her 22-year-old mother, Meerab, sustained injuries during a shooting over family feud. They were transported to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where Jannat was pronounced dead while her mother was admitted.

Inspector Amjad Kayani, SHO Surjani Town police station, reached the scene. He said that they have found four bullet shells of a 30-bore pistol from the crime scene. “Initial findings suggest that the shooting resulted from a family conflict,” he added.

The primary suspect is believed to be the injured woman’s brother-in-law, Masood Sheikh, who fled the scene after the incident. Eyewitness accounts, as well as evidence collected from the crime scene, are currently being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.

At Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, the injured woman, Meerab, recounted the horrifying events. She blamed the shooting on her brother, Adil, and brother-in-law, Sheikh Masood. She claimed that Masood had subjected her to sexual assault and that she had previously reported this to the police, but no action was taken.

Eric, the grandfather of the injured woman, revealed while talking to The Express Tribune that Meerab was divorced by her husband a year ago, and her former spouse had relocated to Punjab. She had a three-year-old daughter, Jannat, from her marriage, who was tragically killed in Thursday’s shooting.

Meerab had also developed a relationship with a man named Arif over the past six months, which had resulted in frequent disputes with family members. Several complaints had been lodged against Arif at the Surjani Town police station, but no action was taken.

The deadly confrontation unfolded when Meerab’s brother-in-law found Arif and Meerab together on that fateful night. Both men were armed, and an exchange of gunfire ensued. Allegedly, Masood’s actions left Meerab wounded and claimed the life of her three-year-old daughter. Both Arif and Masood fled the area following the shooting.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2023.