Couple gunned down in mosque courtyard
Locals say the life has returned to the area and the courtyard of the red sandstone mosque built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century. Photo: Anadolu Agency
In an incident that has sent shockwaves through Lilla Town, a suburban area of Pin Dadan Khan, a recently wedded couple fell victim to a murder within the sacred walls of a mosque.
According to the police, the victims were identified as 22-year-old Rehman Rasool and his 21-year-old wife, Safia. They added that the family of the young bride invited the couple to their home under the pretence of reconciliation. Suspicion gripped the newlyweds when they noticed the behaviour of their family members. The couple ran and sought refuge in the nearby mosque.
In a nightmarish sequence of events, the family members of the bride forcibly entered the mosque by breaking one of its windows. They opened multiple fires at the couple in the mosque’s courtyard, leaving them in a pool of blood, and escaped.
Promptly responding to the grievous incident, local law enforcement authorities have registered a case based on the complaint lodged by the mother of the deceased, Rehman Rasool.
An intense manhunt for the perpetrators is currently underway, said the police.
The funeral prayers for the couple were conducted in their native village, Lilla Town, where a community now mourns the loss of two young lives taken in the name of honour.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2023.