SAHIWAL: The callous acts by a man and a women turned Sahiwal a world of filicide on Friday where the man, a rickshaw driver, killed his one daughter and injured two others, while the woman pushed her three children into a canal.

In the first incident, rickshaw driver Akhtar Rasheed shot at his three daughters in Mahmood Wali, 87/6-R village, in the wee hours of Friday.

One of the girls died at the spot while the other two were shifted to the Sahiwal District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital.

Farid Town police arrested Rasheed. Rasheed, alias Mand, 40, was got married 20 years ago and had seven daughters and a son.

Locals said the family was facing financial hardships. They told police that Rasheed would exchange words with his wife and mother who complained to him about his apathy towards family. They said the man would routinely beat his wife and daughters. On Thursday night, he had an argument with his mother after which he shot at his daughters - Humera (17), Sumera (12) and Sabah (10) - who were sitting in the courtyard, watching him fight with his mother.

Humera died on the spot while neighbours called the police and Rescue 1122. Neighbours said that Rasheed, after shooting his daughters, remained in the house and started crying. ?F?arid ?T?own police arrested Rasheed.

Farid Town Assistant Sub-Inspector Riaz told Dawn Rasheed had opened fire on his daughters because of poverty and the fact that he had seven daughters.

The police registered a murder case on the complaint of Rasheed’s wife Najma.

In the second incident, Robina Bibi tried to drown her three minor children and her self in the Lower Bari Doab Canal on Thursday night. Passersby rescued them.

Robina Bibi, of 95/6-R village, had married Nadeem after her divorce from her first husband. She was living with him in Railway Colony near Irani Imambargah.

Recently, Robina demanded money, while Nadeem instead of providing finances, threatened to divorce her. It was in this background that on Thursday night, Robina with her children - Zaib (4), Arooj (3) and six-month-old Husnain - went to the canal and pushed Zaib and Arooj into it. She then jumped into the canal herself.

Three youths passing by jumped into the canal and saved Zaib and Arooj. Robina was also pulled out with Husnain still in her arms.

Ghala Mandi police took all four into their custody and called Nadeem. Robina allegedly refused to move back with her husband and was sent to Darul Aman with her children on her request.

While talking to the media, Robina said she had gone to the canal to commit suicide with her children due to poverty.

PROTEST: PML-N activist Muhammad Afzal protested in front of the press club along with all medals and honorary certificates awarded to him by his provincial party chapter.

He demanded a plot for himself for his 25-year services to the party. Afzal, a resident of Ghala Mnadi, won a plot in a lucky draw through Housing Scheme and Planning Department, Okara district around 24 years ago. But the housing department did not allot the plots won to the recipients.

Later, the recipients went to the Lahore High Court along with Afzal. The court ordered the housing department to allot the plots. Afzal claimed that 80pc of the recipients got their plots in 2008 but he had been deprived.

He had appealed to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Minister for Housing and Planning Malik Nadeem Kamran, but to no avail.

On Friday, along with his children, he protested in front of the press club and Jinnah Hall and demanded allotment of his plot.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2017