ISLAMABAD: A couple was gunned down in the capital over a property dispute on Saturday, police said.

A minor son of the couple remained unhurt in the attack and was later handed over to his maternal grandfather, the police said.

The incident took place when the couple along with their son was returning home at Pirwadhai on a motorcycle from a court in Islamabad after hearing of a case. When they reached near I-11, armed men on another motorcycle opened fire on them.

As a result, they sustained bullet injuries and fell on the road while the minor child remained unhurt. In the meantime, a white car appeared at the scene and its riders after disembarking from the vehicle also fired on the couple who were lying on the road.

After getting information, police reached the spot and found the man dead and the woman injured. The body and the injured were shifted to hospital where the woman also died.

The deceased were identified as Rehana Sardar and Zafar Iqbal.

The police quoted Rehana’s father as saying that there was a property dispute among his children. He said although he had given houses to all his children, they had objections over the house given to Rehana.

Over the issue, there had frequently been quarrels among the siblings, the police quoted the father, who alleged that his sons and nephews had murdered the couple.

The police said the couple appeared in the court in connection with an abduction case of a girl. One of Rehana’s nephews (son of her elder sister) had allegedly abducted the girl and the complainant also got her nominated in the case.

In another incident, a man was shot dead at Sharifabad area of Koral, police said and identified the deceased as Kashif Samad.

Three persons in a car intercepted Mr Samad when he along with his daughter was going to a market, and shot him. The injured was shifted to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The police said the motive behind the murder was yet to be established.

The Koral police registered a murder case against the three persons in response to a complaint lodged by the deceased’s daughter.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2023