SAHIWAL, July 28: A patrol police team on Wednesday night picked up two married sisters who were chased by their husbands. Fauzia and Bushra, who ran away from their house at Sarwar Chowk on Wednesday night, were picked up by a patrol police party which handed them over to the Bahdar Shah police. The girls told the police that their father had contracted their marriage with two young men of loose character. They alleged that their marriages were conducted at the beck and call of their step-mother.

On Wednesday, they claimed that they ran away after their husbands, Altaf and Fayyaz, subjected them to violence besides threatening them to murder.

Later, around 22 people raided the Bahdar Shah police post to get the girls released. They ransacked the office and also indulged in rioting. The police post in charge sought help from Noorshah and Sahiwal police lines which reached the place and arrested Sharif, Ayub and Javed and registered cases against 22 people, including a candidate for the nazimship.

Those booked included Sharif, Ayub, Javed, Mumtaz, Fayyaz, candidate for UC nazim seat Malak Iqbal Saghla, and six women.

The two sisters were presented before a local court on Thursday. The girls prayed the court to send them either to Darul Aman or to the house of their aunt Anwar Bibi. At this, the court consigned them to the house of their aunt.

Meanwhile, the police managed to get a three-day physical remand of the arrested accused — Muhammad Sharif, Ayub and Javed.