Widow, mother-in-law of Davis shooting victim murdered

The widow of one of the Pakistani men shot dead by CIA contractor Raymond Davis was on Monday murdered along with her mother in Lahore following a family dispute over the blood money and her desire to remarry, police officials said.

Zehra, 23, and her mother Nabeela were shot and killed in their home in Township area of Lahore by her father Shehzad Butt.

Zehra was the widow of Faizan Haider, one of the two men who were shot dead by Davis last year.

According to police official Tayyab Hammad, Zehra wanted to remarry but her father was opposed to the move as he feared that the compensation the family had received from Davis might go to Zehra's new husband.

Zehra's mother was in favour of her plans to remarry.

Butt fled from the house after shooting the two women, police said.

"There have been quarrels between Zehra and her father over the marriage issue. Nabeela would side with Zehra as she was of the view that Zehra was too young to be denied the right to a second marriage," Hammad said.

SSP (Investigation) Abdur Razaak Cheema said police were investigating the matter and would soon arrest Butt.

Davis had shot and killed Faizan Haider and Fahim Shamshad, both in their twenties, on a crowded street in Mozang area.

The CIA contractor claimed that he fired at them in self-defence when they tried to rob him while the families of the slain men insisted they were not robbers.

Police arrested Davis and he was put on trial in a district and sessions court.

Pakistan faced immense pressure from the US to release Davis. Even President Barrack Obama called for his release.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi lost his ministry over the issue after he said that Davis should not be freed.

Davis was finally freed when he paid millions of rupees as blood money to the families of the dead men.

Fahim Shamshad's widow committed suicide in Faisalabad days after the shooting.