BAHAWALPUR, Feb 14: The five family members, who were strangled on Friday last, were laid to rest after the arrival of their family head from Saudi Arabia here on Monday.

Their funeral prayers offered at Bahawalpur stadium were joined by thousands of people of Bahawalpur, Yazman and Head Rajkan. Prominent among the participants were District Nazim Tariq Cheema, MPAs Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar (PML-N), Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar (MMA), Dr Muhammad Afzal (PML), former MPAs, union council Nazims and councillors. Later, they were laid to rest at Malook Shah graveyard.

Victims' family head Mukhtar Ahmed, looking upset and tense, remained quiet for sometime when reporters asked him about the motive behind the gruesome murder of his four children and wife.

With tears rolling down from his cheeks, he could utter only few words that "for the time being he knows nothing about this tragedy". Condemning the crime in the strongest words, District Nazim Tariq Cheema said the administration would soon trace the culprits and award them deterrent punishment.

MPAs Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar (PML-N), Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar (MMA) and former PML-N MPA Samiullah Chaudhry severely criticized the government for the poor law and order situation in the country.

Earlier, the bodies were brought from the medical college mortuary to the house of Mukhtar Ahmed in Nazirabad Colony. Most of the people present there burst into tears when they saw the slain family members.

Zubaida, her three daughters Irum, Kiran, Iqra and son Khurram were strangled in mysterious circumstances on Friday last. Police have so far failed to find any clue to the killers.