VEHARI: The alleged killer of his two sisters sits remorseless in the Mitro police lock-up.

When asked why he killed them, Nasir Husain says he killed his sisters to protect the family honour for they wanted to marry the men of their own choice. He ruled out the property factor in the killings.

Nasir allegedly killed his sisters -- Gulzar Bibi, 22, and Kausar Bibi, 20 -- days before their formal wedding ceremony at home in mauza Sargana on July 29. He was arrested on Aug 3.

This Dawn correspondent met Nasir in the police station, where he along with his another brother, Jaffar, is being held. Their third brother, Saeed, was released by the police after interrogation on Sunday.

He said his family was well aware of his opposition to his sisters’ love marriage. He shot them dead with a 30-bore pistol, which he says, he had bought for Rs4,000 from the Sakhi Sarwar area in Dera Ghazi Khan a few days before the shooting. The pistol is in police custody.

Nasir belongs to a lower-income class, and owns two kanals.

Sargana area patwari Muhammad Iqbal told Dawn deceased sisters did not own any land, while their other family members had some land.

Jaffar owned three kanals, Saeed one kanal and their divorced sister Saeeda Bibi six kanals.

Atta Muhammad, father of Nasir and deceased girls, said that Kausar and Gulzar were working as maids in Karachi, and their monthly income was Rs8,000 to 10,000 each. He said his sons had bought 12 kanals in the last four years. Lumbardar of the Sargana area Tahir Haider Khichi said that according to the area people, a majority of the family members were opposed to love marriage plans of the girls.

Police, however, are trying to find some other aspects in the killings.

Mailsi Deputy Superintendent of Police Shabbir Warraich told Dawn they had yet to conclude the case.

According to source, police also detained various relatives of the family for interrogation.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2016