MUZAFFARABAD: A man shot dead his former sister-in-law and her newlywed husband in the early hours of Wednesday in what police believe to be an ‘honour killing’ incident.

The suspect, 24-year-old Shahbaz Ahmed Khan, reportedly a law student in Rawalpindi, forced his way into the couple’s prefabricated home in Daulat Colony, near the Upper Chattar Housing Scheme, around 3:30am and opened fire, killing them on the spot, said Civil Secretariat Station House Officer (SHO) Javed Gohar.

The victims were identified as Aamna Bibi, believed to be in her early 30s, and her husband Ehtisham Ajmal Qureshi, 24, a resident of the same neighbourhood.

According to police, Aamna Bibi had previously been married to Mr Khan’s elder brother, a serviceman who died in the line of duty about three years ago. She had five children from that marriage, aged between five and sixteen.

Following her husband’s death, Ms Bibi received a substantial compensation package under government service benefits. Using the funds, she purchased a small plot in Daulat Colony with a two-room prefabricated shelter built on it.

Late last month, she remarried Mr Qureshi—a decision that reportedly triggered resentment within her late husband’s family, particularly among her former brother-in-law.

At the time of the incident, three of her children — a teenage daughter, Aneesa, and two younger sons — were living with her, while the other two were staying with their paternal grandparents.

The initial police report was based on the account of her daughter, who witnessed the attack.

According to SHO Gohar, the suspect climbed over the boundary wall and shattered the windowpane of the couple’s room with his fist, injuring his hand in the process. As the couple woke up and attempted to run toward the door, Khan reached through the broken window and fired multiple rounds from a 9mm pistol.

“The woman was hit by three bullets and the man by two. Both died on the spot. The suspect fled the scene immediately,” the SHO said.

Police were informed of the incident around 5:15am and reached the location shortly afterward to transport the bodies for post-mortem examination. Mr Khan was arrested before sunset the same day while attempting to flee to Rawalpindi.

“He had bandaged his bleeding hand himself, but he was taken to the hospital so that a medico-legal report could be prepared and used as evidence in the challan,” SHO Gohar said.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025