Police officials have said that Imran fled the village with his two wives after fearing for their lives.
“Locals began protesting his second marriage and his mother-in-law’s cousin Shumaila filed a writ against them in court,” said superintendent police (SP) Jameel Shah.
Local villagers told police officials that Sohdara resident 45-year-old Muqadas Bibi’s husband Hussain died two-and-a-half years ago and left her with property worth Rs10,000,000 in Sialkot and Sambadial.
Muqadas Bibi has two sons and three daughters and after her husband’s death her parents took her to their home in Sialkot.
“She said that she was being held prisoner and that they were keeping her against her will,” her neighbour Naseem told the police. Naseem said that Muqadas’s friend Imran then moved the court saying that her parents were keeping her locked up and she was freed by the court.
Muqadas then returned to Sohdara and moved into her old house where she was living alone as her sons were working in different areas. Muqadas’s neighbours said that Imran became a regular visitor to her house and befriended her daughter Aasiya. “They both married two years ago and have a son,” Naseem told the police.
Three months ago Imran married Muqadas in a private ceremony and locals of the area reacted strongly to the union.
“There was a nikah ceremony and Aasiya supported the marriage,” said a servant, at the household, Shakeel.
Following Imran’s second marriage, Muqadas’s cousin Shumaila filed a writ against the couple with a local court and police officials were ordered to investigate the matter.
Assistant superintendent Investigation (ASI) Javed Ahmed was in charge of the investigation but two days ago he left the district.
“We have been searching for Javed, but he has emptied out all his records on the case and has left,” said a constable who chose to remain anonymous. However, police officials have insisted that ASI Javed was transferred and took his records along with him.
Locals have been searching for Imran, Aasiya and Muqadas Bibi for three days but their household staff and neighbours said that they left in the middle of the night and told no one where they were going.
“They were definitely afraid of what villagers might do as they had begun to receive death threats,” said a housemaid Maroofa, adding that they had ordered her to pack up their jewellery and belongings two days ago. “I did not know they were leaving but they were definitely scared,” she said.
Local villagers have accused Imran of plotting to murder Muqadas Bibi’s husband Hussain two years ago. “There was definitely some plot to get hold of the property because Muqadas and Imran were close and a month after he died, Imran filed a case for her to move out of her parents house,” said Naseem.
Police officials are searching for Imran, Aasiya and Muqadas Bibi and believe the three to be hiding near Sukkur according to reports.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2010.
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