LAHORE, May 1: Police on Tuesday failed to arrest Shahzad Butt who had murdered his wife Nabeela and daughter Zahra Faizan at his Johar Town residence on Monday.

Zahra (24), mother of a six-month old, was the widow of Faizan Haider who was shot dead by US spy Raymond Davis at Qartaba Chowk in Jan 2011.

The motive for the shooting was partly said to be a dispute between the suspect and his wife. But a more potent reason for the killings was reportedly a conflict between the suspect and his daughter Zahra over use of the amount paid by the US government as blood money to the family of late Faizan.

Sadar SP Investigation Usman Akram Gondal said two police teams were working on the case and efforts were under way to arrest the accused.

He said Shahzad was opposing the second marriage of his daughter with her maternal cousin who worked in Dubai.

Police were also examining the reports that whether Nabeela had already finalised her daughter’s marriage with her nephew or planning to do so, he added. The SP said the family had shifted to their newly-acquired Johar Town residence after returning from Dubai in last April.

After police handed over bodies to Faizan’s family following autopsies, they took them to their native place near Begum Kot, Shahdara, for burial.

According to a police investigator, Haider Ali, the only son of the accused, is pursuing the case against his father and it is likely that he and his five sisters pardon Shahzad Butt ultimately.

The one-kanal Johar Town house, which was bought by the family last year and where the killings occurred, was found locked on Tuesday.

A neighbour told this reporter that the family left for their native place on Monday night.