NAROWAL: A woman was allegedly strangled to death by her husband and mother-in-law just two days before she was expected to give birth to a daughter.

Ishrat Bibi who married Imran Saleem, a businessman belonging to Shakargarh’s Mohallah Rashid almost 14 years ago, often complained that her in-laws would torture and taunt her for having two daughters and only one son.

Ishrat Bibi’s brother Zahid Ali Shakir told the Shakargarh city police that Saleem used to torture his sister besides taunting her in collusion with his mother Rashida Bibi for having daughters. He said Ishrat was expecting and the lady doctor she would consult had already informed her that she was going to have a baby girl.

He said Saleem and his mother made his sister’s life miserable by making cutting remarks and eventually strangled her to death just days two before her delivery. He alleged that the two forcibly aborted the pregnancy of his sister twice in the past to prevent the birth of a baby girl.

Police took Ishrat’s body into their custody and shifted it to the THQ hospital for autopsy. They registered a case against Saleem and Rashida Bibi and later handed over the body to the next of kin after postmortem and other formalities.

Shakargarh Circle DSP Malik Mohammad Khalil said police had registered a case and would go for the action after investigating the charges.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2021