Two girls gunned down in twin cities

In two separate incidents of homicide in the twin cities, two women were shot dead by unknown suspects on Saturday.

In the first incident, a 23-year-old woman was shot dead during a dance party in Rawalpindi.

According to a spokesperson for the police, the incident occurred at a four-storey flat situated in a sensitive area within the Airport police station’s jurisdiction.

He said a gathering involving drinking and dancing had been ongoing at flat no 418, block A of a local private society, owned by a man named Saqib. Witnesses from the neighbourhood told the police that the party lasted late into the night between Friday and Saturday.

However, matters took a grim turn in the early morning hours when a youth, identified as Waqar, fired the fatal shot that led to Heeta Khan’s demise.

Following the distressing event, an elderly neighbour promptly alerted Rescue 1122, prompting a response from the Airport police and Rescue 1122 teams. Heeta Khan’s body was then transported to the Rawalpindi District Headquarters Hospital for medico-legal procedures before being handed over to her family. Subsequently, the police registered a case, although both Saqib and the suspect Waqar, along with their associates, fled the scene.

A spokesperson for the police said the Airport police have gathered substantial evidence, including CCTV footage from the vicinity. While details are limited at this stage, authorities assure that all suspects involved will be apprehended and face legal consequences.

In response to the incident, SSP operations ordered the prompt arrest of the accused and detained four individuals, with legal proceedings initiated against those involved. SSP Operations emphasised that vigilant enforcement of the law will be maintained.

In the second incident, another young girl was tragically shot and killed in the federal capital’s Industrial police station area. According to sources, her body was subsequently thrown from a moving car. The police shifted the victim’s body to the hospital for medico-legal examination. Preliminary investigations suggest that an unidentified assailant fatally shot the girl. Efforts are underway to identify the victim, with the police actively pursuing leads and analysing CCTV footage obtained from the crime scene.

Eyewitnesses reported that the girl was shot inside a car before being discarded from it. Her fingerprints have been collected to aid in her identification through NADRA.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2024.