SUKKUR March 18: The police arrested a villager, Nooruddin Shar, 45, and his son, Rafiq Shar, in Daharki on Tuesday for killing the former’s 10-year-old so-called wife, Shamshad, on the charge of Karo-kari.
The police also recovered Shamshad’s six-year old sister, Rehana, the so-called wife of Mukhtiar Shar, and handed her over to her parents.
The body of the slain girl was buried in Mirpur Mathelo on Monday night and her last rites were attended by thousands of the area people.
Shamshad was shot dead allegedly by Nooruddin, Rafiq and Jhando Shar a few days ago.
Both the minor girls had been married according to a decision made at a Jirga to settle a Karo-kari dispute.
Four years back, Nooruddin accused Riaz Ahmed Shar, the brother of Shamshad and Rehana, of having illicit relations with her sister.
Later a Jirga was held to settle the dispute, which was presided over by Sardar Gul Hassan Shar.
The Jirga ordered Mir Shah Nawaz, the father of Riaz, to marry his daughter, Shamshad, then six years old, to Nooruddin, then 41 and father three children, and Rehana, then two years old, to Mukhtiar.
Consequently, the Nikahs of minor girls were solemnized and they were sent to the house of their so-called husbands.
On 11th of this month, Nawaz Shar, the elder brother of the girls, went to the house of Nooruddin to see his sisters.
Nooruddin refused to allow him to meet his sisters and told him that they would soon receive the body of one of the girls.
Later Nooruddin, his son, Rafiq, and their accomplice, Jhando, allegedly shot Shamshad dead and handed over her body to her relatives, who lodged an FIR against the three accused.
Talking to local journalists at the burial of Shamshad, her brother, Aijaz Shar, said that the accused used to regularly torture the girls.
He appealed to the authorities to provide justice to them.
The DPO, Ghotki, Tashkeel Hyder, told Dawn that the arrested accused, in their preliminary statement, had confessed that they had killed the girl according to their custom and tradition.
The DPO said that the murder charge against the accused would be framed in an anti-terrorism court.