MANDI BAHAUDDIN, Feb 8: Unidentified people killed nine members of a family allegedly to exact revenge of a domestic dispute in Basti Makhdoom, some 50 kilometres away from here in the Qadirabad police precinct, on Monday night.

Fayyaz Ahmed had married Misbah Noreen, a resident of Kharlanwala, and paid Rs50,000 to his in-laws as compensation. However, Fayyaz and Misbah developed some differences.

On Monday night, unknown attackers first gave poisonous substance to all members of Fayyaz’s family and then killed them with meat cleaver and hatchet blows.

Locals informed the police after seeing the bodies on Tuesday morning. Misbah disappeared after the gruesome incident.

The police shifted the bodies of Fayyaz Ahmed, 32, his brother Irshad Ahmed, 34, their mother Razia, 50, and other members of the family, including Kausar Bibi, 28, seven-year-old Shoaib, two-year-old Sohail, one-year-old Shahzaib, seven-year-old Qaiser Mehmood and 21-year-old Aasma Bibi for autopsy.

Qadirabad SHO Shafqat Mehmood Butt said that a case was being registered against Misbah and her relatives on the complaint of Muhammad Nawaz under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

District Police Officer Abdur Rab Chaudhry, however, said that the incident was an honour-killing.

The relatives of Misbah took revenge from Fayyaz’s family as the latter allegedly mistreated the girl after marriage.

He said that the suspects also dropped a leaflet, claiming that they had killed members of Fayyaz’s family to avenge maltreatment with Misbah.

He said that the girl’s disappearance also showed her involvement in the incident.