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BAHAWALPUR, Feb 11: Five family members, including three daughters, were allegedly strangled in mysterious circumstances at Nazirabad Colony near the General Bus Stand here sometimes during Thursday night.
The deceased were identified as Zubaida Begum (40), son Khurram (12), daughters Irum (14), Kiran (8) and Iqra (6). The only surviving daughter is Hina (3). The people came to know about the gruesome murder at midday on Friday when a neighbour knocked at the door which was slightly open.
As no one responded, he peeped through the door and came to know about the tragedy. He immediately raised an alarm and within no time the area people gathered there. They informed the Cantonment police who rushed to the spot.
The motive behind the incident is not known. DPO Arif Nawaz also expressed his inability to ascertain the cause of the killings. In any case, some people claim that the family had some property dispute but it is not confirmed as the family head has been in Saudi Arabia for the last 20 years.
However, Mukhtar had visited his family members about six months ago. Riaz Ahmed, the brother of Mukhtar, told reporters that the family had no enmity. Police have shifted the bodies to the city mortuary. The post mortem is expected to be carried out on Saturday (today). Police have so far not registered a case.
POLICE URGED: Punjab chief minister's adviser Makhdoom Iftikhar Ahmad Gilani has asked the police to realize their responsibilities towards the protection of life and property of the people and take measures to curb crime in the district.
Presiding over a law and order meeting here on Friday, he said people's complaints should be duly registered by the police. DPO Arif Nawaz said in his briefing that there was a decline in the crime graph during the month of January.
Gangs of cattle-lifters had been busted in Hasilpur and Uch Sharif. He said a security plan for the maintenance of law and order during Muharram had been prepared. The meeting was also attended by opposition MPAs Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channa (PML-N) and Dr Syed Wasim Akhtar, the deputy parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly.
