Stage dancer’s brother killed

A stage dancer’s brother was allegedly shot dead by armed suspects in a car. The police took the body into custody and shifted it to the hospital for post-mortem.

Police said Faisal Rashid filed a complaint stating that his brother, 23-year-old Zohaib, was going from Faisalabad to his village Malkhanwala with Zahid Mahmood in their car.

At around 1:30pm, four armed suspects in a car opened fire on Zohaib’s vehicle near Mahi petrol pump. As a result, Zohaib sustained bullet wounds to his stomach. He was shifted to DHQ Hospital after being provided medical aid by Rescue 1122, where he succumbed to his wounds.

According to police sources, the deceased is the brother of stage dancer Mala.

This is not the first attack on a stage dancer. In Khurrianwala last April, unidentified people shot dead a stage dancer on the doorstep of her house and injured a 12-year-old boy In Sargodha Road area.

The 29-year-old stage performer, Sehrish Bibi alias Nida, used to perform at theatre and private family functions.

She was also a plaintiff in two cases under the Hudood laws. Unidentified people knocked at the door of the victim’s house at dawn. Sehrish opened the door and got shot at in the chest.

Twelve-year-old Abdullah, son of Amin, was also injured in the firing.

Police took possession of the body of the artiste, shifted it to the hospital for postmortem and started searching for the unidentified accused.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2023.