BAHAWALNAGAR: A housemaid was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the house of her employer in the Model Town area.

Police said that 35-year-old Mumtaz Bibi had been working as a maid at the home of Masood Chishti, a landlord, for the past 18 years and was also living there. A few days earlier, the landlord went to Bahawalpur with his family to attend a wedding, leaving Mumtaz Bibi at his home to care for his disabled mother. However, on Sunday night, her body was found hanging from the ceiling in her room.

Police shifted the body to the DHQ Hospital for autopsy and started investigations. Police sources told Dawn that Mumtaz Bibi was married under the watta satta (exchange marriage) system about 17 years ago.

Sources said that she had not been able to join her husband due to the non-payment of dowry demanded by her in-laws and in the meantime she was divorced. They said that the woman was apparently heartbroken and committed suicide in depression.

However, the sources said that the police were conducting further investigations in this regard.

PROTEST: The family of a young girl who was allegedly shot dead in Mandi Sadiq Ganj on Monday by armed men while trying to save her brother at their house held a protest on Tuesday by placing her body on the road.

The FIR, registered with the Mandi Sadiq Ganj police, said that Sardar Khan along with six armed accomplices barged into the house of Rashid of the same area on Monday. While threatening the family with dire consequences, the armed men said that they intended to punish Rashid because he had called the police on them.

It said that upon hearing the commotion, Rashid’s sister Tehreem tried to lock the door from inside, but the attackers allegedly opened fire and killed her on the spot.

Protesting the incident, family members placed the victim’s body on the road and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

Police said that raids were being conducted to arrest the suspects.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2025