OKARA: A man shot his ex-wife and her mother and their three relatives dead, besides injuring three others, here on Saturday after a family court decided a maintenance suit against him.

As per police sources, Rafique had married Farzana and the couple had four children -- a son and three daughters. However, he divorced his wife around a year ago after developing differences with her.

Following the divorce, Farzana started living with her parents in city’s Latifabad locality and filed a maintenance suit against her former husband in a family court. On Saturday, the court decided the case in favour of Farzana, that annoyed Rafique.

As Farzana, her maternal uncle Ashiq and his son Suleman returned home from the court, Rafique also reached there and allegedly opened indiscriminate fire.

As a result, Farzana and her brother Kashif died on the spot, while her mother Zubeda, sister Maryam, uncle Ashiq and his son Suleman, who suffered bullet injuries, were shifted by Rescue 1122 to the district headquarters hospital.

At the hospital, Ashiq and his son Suleman were pronounced dead by the doctors, while Zubeda and Maryam, who were in critical condition, were referred to a Sahiwal hospital, where Zubaida latter succumbed to her wounds.

The police shifted dead bodies to the city hospital mortuary for autopsy.

On being informed of the incident, the district police officer (DPO), along with police teams, visited the crime scene and directed A Division police to immediately arrest the suspect.

On the orders of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali sought a detailed report of the incident from RPO Tayyab Hafeez Cheema.

Till the filing of the story, the police were yet to register a case.

YOUTH DIES: A young motorcyclist Rizwan died when his bike hit the pillar of a bridge on Okara-Shahbore road.

According to police, the youth was going to his native 26/4L village from Sahiwal when the accident occurred because of heavy rain.

Area police shifted the body to hospital for completion of legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2022