March 13, 2025
By Muhammad Rizwan Aajiz
FAISALABAD
A chilling wave of horror has swept through the village of 632 GB, near Lundianwala, following the brutal murders of a woman and her two young daughters, allegedly at the hands of her husband and brother-in-law. The violence escalated further when the suspects allegedly murdered their own sister in a separate incident.
The horrific events unfolded in the early hours of February 27th, when Ibrahim, along with his brother Ismail, reportedly attacked his wife, Iram, with an axe before slitting her throat. Their two daughters, Kiran, 5, and Noor Fatima, 2, were then also murdered with a dagger.
The brutality of the crime has deeply shaken the community, say local residents who have been shocked at the way little children were also murdered alongside their mother, who is also the complainant of the FIR.
Following the triple homicide, the brothers reportedly fled on motorcycles to Mandi Faizabad, where they targeted their own sisters. According to police reports, they attempted to kill both sisters with a pistol. One sister survived, but Sakina was fatally shot.
The suspects then fled towards the Pakistan-India border, prompting a large-scale manhunt. The local landlord, upon discovering the gruesome scene, immediately alerted the police.
SP Jaranwala Zia-ul-Haq swiftly formed a dedicated raiding team, led by In-charge Investigation Zaigham Baloch. The team successfully apprehended Ibrahim and Ismail just 50 meters from the border.
“We got a tip off that these murders had taken place and we reached there as soon as possible,” said Zaigham Baloch. “We then ascertained the identities of the victims and the parents of the murdered woman, Iram Fatima, told us that her husband had murdered them. The man along with his brother first killed his wife and then his sister in law, then they went to a separate area on their motorcycle, and there they killed their sister Sakina Bibi with a pistol, on pretext of tarnishing their families ‘honour’. Then they fled.”
The police went to great extents to try and arrest the two men, including travelling across districts. Finally they found them in a desolate area just near the border where there were no cell phone signals. The weapons used for the murder including an axe and a knife, were recovered from them.
Meanwhile SP Zia-ul-Haq said that the two men who were still in physical remand were interrogated, and both had confessed to the crimes.
“We are committed to ensuring that justice is served,” stated SP Zia-ul-Haq. “The swift arrest of these suspects is a testament to the dedication of our officers.”
The incident throws light on the issue ‘honor’ based killings in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas where education levels are often low.
“These heinous acts are often rooted in a toxic combination of ignorance, outdated customs, and poverty,” explained SP Zia-ul-Haq. “This was a family of gypsies. Accusing someone over their “character’, itself shows the lack of education. A lack of both religious and secular education contributes significantly to this problem. Police with 48 hours arrested the culprits and we will be working with the prosecution on this case, and plead the case in court to ensure that the two are brought to justice.”
The family of the victims now grapples with the aftermath of this tragedy, still shaken by the viciousness of the crime, and trying to understand why it would have happened.