Pir prognosis: ‘Heartless’ answers to suspicious questions
Man cuts out wife’s heart for pir to ‘stop her from accusing him of adultery’.
FAISALABAD:
A man cut out his wife’s heart and killed her after she accused him of cheating on her and refused to agree to him taking another wife on Monday.
According to police officials, Chiniot resident Zaffar cut out his wife Zahra’s, 35, heart after consulting a pir in Mohallah Noorwala. Zafar married Zahra six years ago and the couple had five children. According to neighbours, Zafar frequently beat his wife. “He was an addict and we have seen him publicly beat his wife with sticks in the street because she rebuked him for spending money on other women,” said neighbour Shazia Bibi. “Zahra’s major complaint was that her 5 children were going hungry while her husband was spending the little money he earned on buying gifts for other women,” she said.
“When he wanted to marry for a second time, she refused to give her consent and threatened to take the children and leave,” she added.
Muhammad Aslam told reporters that Zahra and her husband often fought over his multiple affairs. “He was a drug addict and a philanderer and he abused her in front of everyone,” he added. “He wanted to marry a woman in the village and she refused him. When she kept refusing him he went to a pir to ask for help,” he added.
Locals said that Pir Bashir was famous for handing out taweez that solved such hurdles and fulfilled wishes. “Zafar said that the pir told him that he needed to get some ‘body part’ of his wife. Zafar decided to cut out her heart!” Aslam said. Pir Bashir’s assistant Khadim said that Zafar brought a bag containing his wife’s heart to ‘make his wife more compliant’. “When we saw the heart we were terrified. Generally, when the pir asks for a token it is something like hand nails or a lock of hair,” he added.
Zafar told the pir that he had ‘acted upon his suggestion’ and cut his wife Zahra’s throat and brought her heart. Following the incident Pir Bashir and Zafar have fled the district. “This is not Bashir’s fault. He has helped hundreds of people but Zafar mistook his meaning. He is a drug addict,” Khadim added.
Chiniot Station House Officer (SHO) Tahir Ahamd said that police officials had taken Zahra’s body into custody. “We have sent the body for an autopsy,” he added. Zahra’s brother Muhammad Yaqoob has registered a case against accused Zafar under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
A man cut out his wife’s heart and killed her after she accused him of cheating on her and refused to agree to him taking another wife on Monday.
According to police officials, Chiniot resident Zaffar cut out his wife Zahra’s, 35, heart after consulting a pir in Mohallah Noorwala. Zafar married Zahra six years ago and the couple had five children. According to neighbours, Zafar frequently beat his wife. “He was an addict and we have seen him publicly beat his wife with sticks in the street because she rebuked him for spending money on other women,” said neighbour Shazia Bibi. “Zahra’s major complaint was that her 5 children were going hungry while her husband was spending the little money he earned on buying gifts for other women,” she said.
“When he wanted to marry for a second time, she refused to give her consent and threatened to take the children and leave,” she added.
Muhammad Aslam told reporters that Zahra and her husband often fought over his multiple affairs. “He was a drug addict and a philanderer and he abused her in front of everyone,” he added. “He wanted to marry a woman in the village and she refused him. When she kept refusing him he went to a pir to ask for help,” he added.
Locals said that Pir Bashir was famous for handing out taweez that solved such hurdles and fulfilled wishes. “Zafar said that the pir told him that he needed to get some ‘body part’ of his wife. Zafar decided to cut out her heart!” Aslam said. Pir Bashir’s assistant Khadim said that Zafar brought a bag containing his wife’s heart to ‘make his wife more compliant’. “When we saw the heart we were terrified. Generally, when the pir asks for a token it is something like hand nails or a lock of hair,” he added.
Zafar told the pir that he had ‘acted upon his suggestion’ and cut his wife Zahra’s throat and brought her heart. Following the incident Pir Bashir and Zafar have fled the district. “This is not Bashir’s fault. He has helped hundreds of people but Zafar mistook his meaning. He is a drug addict,” Khadim added.
Chiniot Station House Officer (SHO) Tahir Ahamd said that police officials had taken Zahra’s body into custody. “We have sent the body for an autopsy,” he added. Zahra’s brother Muhammad Yaqoob has registered a case against accused Zafar under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The SHO said “We have received a complaint from the deceased brother and have registered the case. There has been no real mention of a pir and we are still investigating these charges,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2011.