KASUR: The Rescue 1122 on Friday recovered the body of one of the three minor girls who were allegedly strangled and thrown into the BS Link Canal by their father who wanted to contract a second marriage.

Two of the sisters are feared drowned but the operation is still under way to find their bodies. Allahabad police said Aslam of village Bhagiana Kalan, already in custody over murder charge, wanted to contract a second marriage with a woman but her family refused his proposal reportedly due to his daughters. His wife had left for her parents’ home, leaving her three daughters with him.

After the rejection of his proposal, on Jan 4, Aslam forced entered the house of the woman he wanted to marry and opened fire. As a result, one Muhammad Riasat was killed and four other members of his family, including two women, were injured.

Police arrested Aslam on the same day and lodged a case.

Investigation revealed that Aslam’s wife had left her daughters, namely Tahreem (9), Malaika (8) and Mashal Fatima (6) with him. The murder of all three girls surfaced when, after the arrest of Aslam for Riasat’s murder, his wife went to his home to get her daughters but found them missing.

She reported the matter to police who interrogated Aslam. He admitted that he had strangled his three daughters and threw their bodies into the BS Link Canal, considering them a hurdle to his second marriage.

On Friday, Deepalpur Rescue 1122 divers recovered the body of Fatima.

Police said they had found shoes and warm caps of the minor girls from the crime scene at BS Link Canal.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2022