Man slaughters women of family for their ‘arrogance’

Confesses to killing his daughters and wife after dispute over marriage of their oldest daughter against his will.

MURIDKE: A man has confessed to slaughtering his three daughters and wife after the latter contracted the marriage of their oldest daughter against his will.

According to the police, Pindi Machiyaan resident Shaukat Ali killed his family in their sleep. Shaukat drugged his family at dinner and when Zunera (5), Humaira (7), Sumera (10) and his wife Amina fell unconcious he took a sharp knife and slit their throats. Shaukat then dragged the bodies into the street and left them outside his house as he composed a note for the police that he left on his house door.

Police officials said that they found a notice on the door that stated “I am ashamed of my wife who was stubborn and arrogant.

My daughters could have turned out like her. I have killed them so that I would not have to suffer the humiliation of their dishonourable actions. I am a man of honour and I will turn myself over to the police for their murder.”

Muridke station house officer (SHO) Nemat Gujjar said that Shaukat had confessed to the crime. “We were called in by locals who said they saw a stream of blood flowing into the road from his house,” he said.

“I saw a stream of blood flowing into the road. When I followed it to the corner of the street, I saw four bodies piled on top of each other,” said Pindi Maachiyaan resident Ataa Khan. “I called the police immediately as other people began to gather around the house and we saw the notice,” he said, adding that Shaukat’s house was empty. “He must have left with his son. His other two sons are older and are no longer living with him. They work at a factory in a neighbouring city ,” a neighbour Sohail said.

Sohail said that two days ago his wife mentioned that Shaukat’s wife Amina arranged a wedding match for her 12-year-old daughter Samina on the recommendation of her brothers Shahbaz and Ilyas. “She told me that Shaukat had disapproved the match.

Amina said she would go to the neighbouring village and contract the marriage without his knowledge,” he said. Police officials said that Amina had married Samina to a relative in the Muqta Village in Sheikhupura. SHO Gujjar said that during his confession, Shaukat’s stated that he blamed his wife’s brothers for ‘provoking him’.

“He has said that he will hand himself over to the police but he is nowhere to be found. He took most of his belongings from his house,” he said, adding that Shaukat had escaped with his four-year-old son Mubasshir.

Police officials recovered the bodies from the street corner and shifted them to the hospital for autopsy. SHO Gujjar said that an investigation had already been initiated. Amina’s brother Shahbaz filed a case against Shaukat with the Muridke police. “Shaukat has wiped out half of his family simply because he disapproved of our choice of husband for our niece. He deserves to be killed for what he has done,” Shahbaz said.

Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the horrific murders and said that police should arrest the man responsible as soon as possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2010.