LOWER DIR: A local court on Monday granted the police three-day remand of the two alleged killers of a married woman, who was found dead in a forest in Rabat here on August 11.

The Khall police had arrested Nadeemullah, a 9th grader, and his cousin, Marwan, a 10th grader, and recovered arms and a non-custom paid car from them.

Two children of the victim, 25, including a 13-year-old physically and mentally-challenged girl and a four-year-old boy, who were also targeted, but they survived.

A police official investigating the case told Dawn that the alleged killers shot the woman and her minor son in the head. However, the minor survived despite excessive bleeding. The official said the killers threw the victim’s daughter in the forest. However, she was recovered from the forest after 72 hours.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, DSP headquarters Mohammad Zaman Khan, investigation officer Sultan Yousaf and SHO Mehran Shah said it was a challenging case for the police as the relatives were reluctant to cooperate with police in identifying the woman who was allegedly killed for honour.

The officials said both the accused confessed that they committed the murder on the instructions of the brother of the victim, who is working abroad.

The deceased was divorced by her husband, a resident of Ouch, four years ago, and she with two of their four children, has since been living in Timergara.

DSP Zaman said the killers took the victim and her children to Rabat Dara in a car pretending they were taking them to a wedding party, but shot her dead at Sumail Kandao, a hilly area. He said the accused also shot the four-year old, but fortunately the bullet pierced through his shoulder.

Meanwhile, the civil society activists have appealed to humanitarian organisations and the Edhi Foundation to adopt both the children as no one was ready to look after them after their mother’s murder.

SHO Khall said a Dar-ul-Aman in Swat was approached to adopt the children, but the management refused due to their age and condition.

Lower Dir DPO Abdur Rashid Khan said the accused would be given exemplary punishment.

Talking to journalists after giving the children clothes, toys and other items, he said police were looking after the children. He, however, said it was a temporary arrangement and that the children deserved to be adopted properly for sake of their future.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2020