CHAKWAL, Jan 22: A woman, Haleema Bibi, was allegedly shot dead by her husband during a domestic dispute that turned violent, here in Choa Saiden Shah area on Monday.

Bibi’s father told the police that his daughter and Piara Khan, the accused, got married 10 years ago and had three children; a son and two daughters.

The couple got into an argument over a minor domestic issue on Monday during which Khan got infuriated, took out his rifle and shot his wife twice, killing her instantaneously. The Choa Saiden Shah police have registered the murder case and have begun searching for the accused, who had escaped after the killing.

Meanwhile, district and sessions judge Chakwal dismissed a last-minute mercy petition of a convicted killer who will be hanged in the Mianwali Jail on Tuesday morning.

The murder victim’s widow had earlier stated before the court, that their family had reached a settlement with the accused, Tariq Mehmood

But when the application came up for hearing on Monday, the widow changed her stance and informed the court that her daughters were now refusing to accept the settlement and insisted that the murderer be punished to killing their father.

The court dismissed the mercy petition after recording the widow’s statement.

Mehmood, a resident of the Narang Syedan village, in the Neela Police area of the Chakwal District, had been sentenced to death by the District and Sessions Judge Chakwal, Sakhi Hussain Bukhari in the year 2000.

This verdict had later been upheld by both the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court. The President of Pakistan had also dismissed the mercy petition.—Agencies