DADU: An investigation into the ‘accidental death’ of a 16-17-year-old girl was started after police came to know that she was resisting her family’s pressure to get married to a person of their choice.

Dadu SSP Dr Farrukh Raza Malik on Thursday undertook the probe into the death of Shazia Khaskheli and got her brother arrested by the Mehar police on suspicion of his involvement in the alleged murder.

The SSP told the media in Mehar that the family reported the incident claiming that Shazia died when the gun present in their house went off accidentally. However, he said, statements of other family members appeared contradictory which raised doubts. The family was also reluctant to surrender the crime weapon to the police.

A secret watch on the family members was maintained and the crime weapon was recovered, the SSP said, adding that a post-mortem of the body was performed by the police and an investigation started.

The police officer quoting initial probe said that Shazia had been engaged to her cousin since her childhood but she was not ready to marry him. He said her family was pressuring her to accept the new relationship.

He said at the time of the incident, her brother was present with her in the home. It was stated that all other family members had gone to her elder sister’s residence a day earlier.

The SSP said that a murder FIR (No. 249/2020) at the Mehar police station on behalf of the state had been registered.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2020