RAWALPINDI: A team, consisting of police officials, telecommunication experts and investigating officers, left for Chiniot to arrest the couple reportedly involved in the murder of another couple, their young daughter and niece.

The team, led by Inspector Yar Mohammad, is travelling to Chiniot, the native town of Imran who was in a relationship with one of the slain couple’s daughters and missing along with the girl since the murders took place.

Sher Ali, 45, his 35-year-old wife Aasia Bibi, their young daughter and a niece who was visiting them were found murdered and with bullet wounds on their heads in Dhoke Paharian on Adiala Road on July 4, with no signs of resistance. A bottle of chemical found close by the bodies suggested the victims may have been drugged before they were killed.

The police also found Sher Ali’s gun close by the bodies, thought to have been placed there by the killers in order to make the police think it was a suicide case.

Sher Afzal, a property dealer, lived with his wife, four daughters and a son in Dhoke Paharian. The couple’s 16-year-old niece Eiza was visiting.

One of Sher Ali’s daughters had woken up in the room she shared with her parents to find them, one of her sisters and her cousin dead. She told the police she had seen another one of her sisters, Naila, leaving on her father’s motorcycle with Imran.

The family lives in Dhoke Lalyal before where Imran developed a relationship with Naila which was not approved of by the family. Sher Afzal had moved his family away from Imran but he continued to visit Naila in her new home.

A day before the murders, Imran had visited the couple and fought with them over the issue of him and Naila getting married. He had left after threatening the couple of consequences.

The police had investigated Imran’s family in order to trace his whereabouts as the police believe he is directly involved in the murders.

The missing couple’s mobile phones were also found to be switched off.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2016