MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 4: AJK police have offered cooperation to the Punjab police for the arrest of three proclaimed offenders wanted in a three-month-old triple-murder case of Lahore, it was learnt here on Wednesday.

Inspector-General of AJK police Shahid Hasan directed his subordinates to contact their counterparts in Lahore to ascertain the progress on the case and offer the cooperation needed by them, the acting DIG, headquarters, Raja Abdul Razzaq, told Dawn.

The IG had received a written request from Mohammad Sarwar Butt, 60, and his wife Hussan Pari to use his good offices for getting the killers of their sons - Hafiz Iqbal Shaheen, 21, Ghulam Abbas, 19, and Hafiz Mohammad Rafiq, 16, - punished.

They were found murdered on Feb 28 at the Mashkoor-i-Madina Madressah in the Baghbanpura area with their throats cut. Mr Shaheen was a teacher in the seminary, Hafiz Rafique assisted him and Ghulam Abbas had gone to see his brothers fro here allegedly after receiving a false message by one Shabbir Dar, according to their parents, who had earlier visited the press club.

Mr Butt, a resident of Sabhai village in Neelum valley, alleged that his sons had been killed by a relative of his wife, Mohammad Hussain, with the help of others. "He had threatened us after the marriage of Hafiz Shaheen outside the family," he said.

Hafiz Shaheen had broken his engagement with a daughter of his maternal uncle Abdullah and married in Lahore on Feb 11, Mr Butt said. Mr Hussain and Mr Abdullah had been arrested by the Baghbanpura police but their accomplices were yet to be apprehended, Mr Butt said.

"They are hiding in the (Neelum) valley and we are receiving threats from them," he said and urged the Punjab chief minister and police chief to bring the killers to justice at the earliest.

The couple later met the acting DIG (HQ) in the central police office, who brought the matter to the notice of the IG and spoke to the Punjab police officials concerned to get the case expedited.

Mr Razzaq said he was satisfied with the way the Baghbanpura police was investigating the case. The Punjab police have declared three persons, Mashkoor, Ghulam Haider and Siddique, proclaimed offenders. Mr Razzaq asked them to post the relevant documents to the AJK police so that the abetters could be arrested if they were hiding in AJK.