A 19-year-old girl was shot dead over ‘honour’ by her father at the gates of Karachi City Court on Monday for marrying of her free will, according to City Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shabbir Ahmed Sethar.
The incident left Head Constable Imran Zaman, 40, and another person — 20-year-old Wajid Kaleem — injured. Both the injured were taken to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi along with the girl’s body.
SSP Sethar said the suspect behind the firing — Ameer Jan Mehsud, 65 — was arrested and a weapon recovered from him.
Pirabad Station House Officer (SHO) Mukhtiar Ahmed Panhwar said that the medical condition of Zaman was out of danger.
A first information report (FIR) of the murder was not filed by the time this story was published.
Panhwar said the investigators — including Zaman — had brought the girl to the court to record her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (recording of confessions and statements) when the incident occurred.
The police official deployed at the court entrance has been suspended over charges of negligence, the SHO added.
SSP Sethar said, “The suspect was chasing [the girl]. When she reached Gate 4 of City Courts, the suspect opened fire on her.” He added the suspect was alone at the time of the incident.
He further said, “The victim had married a man, who is said to be a doctor, with her free consent and her father killed her over so-called honour.”Separately, SHO Panhwar clarified he was not sure as to whether her husband was a doctor.
The girl had reportedly got married in Orangi Town. According to Panhwar, the teenager had left her residence 10 days ago, following which her father had lodged a report of kidnapping at Orangi’s Pirabad police station.
