Newly converted Muslim woman injured, daughter killed

A woman who had recently converted to Islam was wounded and her three-year-old daughter killed allegedly by her own family members on Thursday.

The incident unfolded in the Khuda Ki Basti area, falling under the jurisdiction of the Surjani Town police station. Rescuers transported the casualties to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for an autopsy and medical treatment. The injured woman was identified as 22-year-old Meerab, while her daughter as three-year-old Jannat.

The woman alleged that her brother and brother-in-law had fired shots at her and her daughter due to an ongoing feud. She claimed to have previously filed a complaint at the police station against them for harassment and threats, but no action had been taken by the police.

Meerab’s grandfather, Eric, spoke to the media and revealed that Meerab had been divorced for a year, and her ex-husband had moved to Punjab. She had a daughter named Jannat from her previous marriage.

“Meerab had been in a relationship with a man named Arif, which had caused several conflicts between Arif and members of our family,” explained the grandfather. He further stated that multiple complaints had been lodged against Arif at the Surjani Town police station, but no action had been taken.

Eric mentioned that his granddaughter had been spending time with Arif for the past six months, which had caused tension in the family. He added that when Meerab’s brother-in-law, Masood, saw Meerab and Arif together, he became agitated.

“Both Arif and Masood were armed, and they opened fire on each other,” the grandfather explained, resulting in Meerab’s injury and the tragic loss of her daughter, Jannat. Following the incident, both Arif and Masood managed to escape from the scene.

Meanwhile, the police launched a search for the fleeing suspects. SHO Amjad Kayani stated that the family was unhappy with Meerab’s relationship with Arif, who she had met after her conversion to Islam.

“According to our initial investigations, the family’s discontent was not solely due to her conversion but rather because they had been exploiting the woman for illicit activities. Since she had been in a relationship with Arif, the family had faced financial difficulties due to the closure of these illicit activities,” explained the officer. A case has been registered, and the police are actively searching for the suspects as the investigation continues.