The brutal murder of Zahra Qadeer in Daska, Sialkot, has sent shockwaves through the community, with police arresting eight individuals, including close relatives, in connection with the gruesome crime.

Zahra’s sister-in-law’s mother-in-law expressed her disgust at the crime, stating that both Sughran Bibi and Yasmin were “merciless.” She also revealed that Sughran Bibi practiced ‘black magic’ and performed rituals in graveyards, hinting at further potential revelations in the investigation. A climate of fear pervades the area, with residents expressing profound sadness and shock over the violent nature of the murder.

Initial investigations reveal a shocking plot involving the victim’s mother-in-law, Sughran Bibi, her daughter Yasmin, Yasmin’s son, and a relative named Naveed. They confessed to murdering Zahra, dismembering her body, and disposing of the remains in a drain.

The police have now expanded their investigation, arresting four more individuals: Sughran Bibi’s other daughter, Saba, her son Qasim, and two other relatives, Shabir Rajput and Azan Ali. All eight suspects are currently in custody.

The investigation revealed that Sughran Bibi initially attempted to instigate a divorce by falsely accusing Zahra of misconduct. Upon failing, she conspired with her daughter Yasmin to murder her daughter-in-law. The murder weapon and Zahra’s two mobile phones have been recovered by the police. Furthermore, Sughran Bibi confessed that Naveed was paid 10,000 rupees online to dismember the body, with CCTV footage of the purchase of the tools used obtained by the police.

Zahra’s father had filed a missing person report on November 10th after failing to reach his daughter by phone and receiving evasive answers from her in-laws. He expressed concerns about previous attempts on Zahra’s life and suspected her in-laws of her disappearance. The investigation will also include Zahra’s husband. The horrific details of the case and the involvement of such close family members have left the community reeling.