KARACHI: A couple who reportedly married of their own free will in their native village in Gujranwala recently, were found shot dead in the city on Monday, police said.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the bodies of a man and woman, aged around 25 to 30 years, were recovered from the China Port area. The victims were later identified as Sana Asif and Sajid Masih.

Both bodies bore gunshot wounds and spent bullet casings were also recovered from the crime scene. The corpses were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that both the victims suffered gunshot wounds to their head and face.

The DIG said he was in touch with the Gujranwala police and contacted the family and friends of the victims.

“Both seemed to have been targeted by someone close to them who enjoyed their trust,” opined Mr Raza.

He said that during an initial probe, it had transpired that the couple had married of their own free will in their village in Gujranwala recently and had come to Karachi. He suspected involvement of the woman’s relatives in the killings.

He pointed out that deceased Sana’s brother, Waqas Ali, had registered an FIR against Sajid and others, accusing them of kidnapping his sister in Gujranwala on July 16 under section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code.

“We are working on suspect Riaz alias Fauji, who is a friend of deceased Sana’s brother Waqas,” the DIG said.

The DIG said that an FIR would be registered on behalf of the state against the killer(s).

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2025