November 30, 2003	Sunday	Shawwal 5, 1424

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MULTAN, Nov 29: Four of the five people, killed in a tragic episode of a family row over matrimonial and property issues, were buried on Saturday.

The body of the fifth victim was sent to Arifwala for the last rites.

Sardar, his son Hanif, daughter-in-law Hashmat Bibi, grand-daughter Aasia and a relative, Shamim, were gunned down on the night between Thursday and Friday by his another son, Bashir, and his seven accomplices, including three sons.

It was learnt that Sardar had divided his agricultural land among his sons but he kept five acres to meet his own expenses. As he was living with his son Hanif, he had hinted on many occasions that he would transfer his remaining land to Hanif. Bashir was annoyed with his father for his intentions.

He also wanted to marry his sons with the daughters of Hanif, but the latter had refused to accept the proposals because of alleged bad characters of his sons. Hanif had fixed Nov 30 for the marriages for his two daughters, Aasia and Sajida, to be solemnized with maternal cousins.

Armed with rifles and axes, Bashir, his sons — Rasheed, Saleem and Rafiq — and four other accomplices barged into Hanif’s house at Chak Sarkariwala and killed five members of the family.

Deceased Shamim was a maternal cousin of would-be brides, Aasia and Sajida, who had come from Arifwala to attend the marriage ceremonies.

Sajida, her brother Sajjad and a guest, Irfan, were injured in the attack and had been hospitalized at the Nishtar Hospital. Their conditions had yet to come out of danger, an official of the hospital told.

Meanwhile, the police had arrested suspects Saleem and Mazhar alias Mazhari on Saturday.