LAHORE: Police claimed on Thursday that hired assassins were involved in killing stage actress.

On Nov 23, Hina Baig alias Kismat Baig, a drama artist, and her driver were on their way to Canal Bank Scheme house by a car when three gunmen riding a car and a motorcycle stopped them in front of a marriage hall.

The suspects attacked the car with iron rods, pulled out their guns and fired on the actress and her driver. Ms Baig and the driver suffered several bullet wounds. She succumbed to her injuries some 18 hours after treatment at Services Hospital.

Harbanspura police registered a murder case against unidentified person(s) on the complaint of victim’s brother-in-law Shahid.

After the incident, a number of artists held a demonstration at Faisal Chowk and demanded that the Punjab government arrest her killers.

SSP (Investigation) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera told Dawn that the stage actress was killed over personal grudges and professional jealousy.

He claimed that a man she allegedly had an affair with, hired three hitmen. “The assassins chased the actress after she left the theatre for home and later reached outside her house to execute their plan.” He claimed police had identified the assassins and were conducting raids to arrest them.

“We have also sent teams to Faisalabad to arrest the main suspect.”

The SSP said they quizzed different people, including deceased’s driver, actresses and producers.

He said the main suspect had allegedly threatened to kill her by shooting in the legs and later the assassins exactly did that.

In September, a television host of a news channel was allegedly poisoned by a ‘fan’. Sana was allegedly approached by a ‘fan’ in Karachi who asked her for a selfie and an autograph. He reportedly served her with an ice cream. She was hospitalised and believed to have been poisoned by the fan.

Several stage actresses -- Nadra, Nagu, Yasmin, Naina, Nagina, Marvi, Karishma, Sangam and Arzo had been killed in the past.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2016