SIALKOT: The three sisters who allegedly murdered a man charged with blasphemy 13 years ago committed the crime on the instigation of a prayer leader who was also complainant in the blasphemy case against the victim, the case FIR says.

A magisterial court in Pasrur on Thursday sent the three sisters suspected of killing Fazal Abbas Shah, who was accused of blasphemy some 13 year ago, to the district jail on a two-week judicial remand.

The police produced the suspects -- Amna, Afshan and Razia Bibi -- in the court of Pasrur judicial magistrate/civil judge Waseem Husain Chattha, seeking their judicial remand. The court granted two-week judicial remand of the suspects and sent them to Sialkot district jail.

Earlier, Pasrur Saddar police registered a case (No 121/2017) under sections 34, 109 and 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against the suspects on the report of Syed Azhar Husain Shamsi, an uncle of slain Fazal Abbas Shah.

According to FIR, the three sisters shot dead Fazal Abbas after being incited by Maulavi Muhamamd Shafiq Dogar, the Imam of a Pasrur mosque, Jamia Masjid Sadique Akbar, who is also complainant in the blasphemy case that had been registered against the victim in 2004 by Pasrur city police station.

Pasrur Saddar police station in charge (SHO) Inspector Saeed Hunjra told Dawn suspect Shafiq Dogar had also been arrested.

According to the FIR, Fazal Abbas Shah had allegedly committed blasphemy while addressing a procession in Pasrur city’s congested Jinnah Gate locality on March 2, 2004. After the registration of the case, Shah had fled to Denmark and had been living there after getting Danish nationality.

Shah was declared a court absconder in the blasphemy case, the police said.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2017