MIRPURKHAS: A man shot dead his son-in-law (the husband of his daughter) in the court of the second additional sessions judge of Mirpurkhas on Wednesday.

Sources said that Wazir Bhatti, along with his son, Sher Ali Bhatti, was present in the court for the hearing of the freewill marriage case of his daughter, Ms Najma, when she and her husband, Gul Hassan Babar, were produced before the judge.

They said that as soon as the couple walked into the corridor of the Mirpurkhas Judicial Complex, Wazir Bhatti fired several shots at Mr Babar with his pistol.

Mr Babar and his friend, Mohammad Hashim Rajar, who was accompanying him, received bullet wounds and were rushed to the Mirpurkhas Civil Hospital for treatment. While Mr Rajar was admitted there, Mr Babar was referred to the Liaquat Medical University Hospital, Hyderabad, due to his precarious condition. He, however, died on the way.

Wazir Bhatti, a resident of Sial Colony, and his son, Sher Ali, were arrested after the shooting. Gharibabad police said that the couple had contracted a freewill marriage and gone into hiding for fear of being killed by the women’s relatives. They said Ms Najma was traced and taken into custody a few days back.

Mirpurkhas SSP Jam Zafarullah Dharejo suspended Gharibabad SHO Tanveer Shah, Town SHO Adam Abro and SI Ibrahim Leghari for their negligence leading to the incident.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2014