SUKKUR: A couple who had contracted a free-will marriage were shot dead in a passenger coach on the National Highway near the VIG Gate, within the limits of the Baiji Sharif police station in Panu Aqil, Sukkur district, on Thursday evening.

The victims were reportedly travelling to Karachi when the attack took place.

Police said armed assailants opened fire on the couple and tried to flee. Acting on information, Baiji Sharif police reached the spot and arrested two suspects, Abdul Malik Samejo and Abdul Hanan Samejo, along with a repeater shotgun.

The victims were identified as Sidra Samejo and Deedar Sheikh. Their bodies were taken to a nearby hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Police described the killings as being committed in the name of honour. They said further investigation was under way to establish the circumstances.

A free-will affidavit dated Sept 28, 2026, identifies a woman named Sidra, daughter of Abdul Hakeem Samejo, and gives details of her previous marriage to a man named Abdul Hanan.

According to the document, she has four children from that marriage. She alleged that her former husband mistreated her and pronounced talaq three times on Sept 11, 2024, in the presence of witnesses, after which she lived at her parents’ home.

The affidavit states that, after completing her iddat period, she came under pressure from relatives to marry another person against her wishes. It records that she entered into a nikah with Deedar Ali, son of Muhammad Ishaque Shaikh, on April 25, 2026. The deponent maintained that the marriage was voluntary and said she feared threats from relatives, including her former husband and other family members.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2026