Pakistani man's rush to marry ends in tragedy

KARACHI, Oct 14 (Reuters) A Pakistani man has committed suicide outside his fiancee's home after he thought he accidentally killed her while trying to persuade her to get married early, police said today.

The man, Ahmed Ashraf, was shooting a gun in the air outside his fiancee's home in the southern city of Karachi yesterday as part of his efforts to persuade her to get married two months early when a stray bullet accidently hit her, police said.

''He was so eager to get married he stood in front of his fiancee's house and started firing shots in the air to catch her attention,'' said investigating officer Ghulam Hussain.

The young woman was coming downstairs when a bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit her. She fell down screaming ''I have been shot'', Hussain said.

''He thought he had killed her and within seconds shot himself.

The girl is fine,'' Hussain said.

''It is a tragic accident. They were engaged to be married with their parents' consent on December 25. He was insisting they get married earlier.'' Ashraf had told his fiancee, Naureen, he would do something drastic if she didn't agree to get married straight away. The woman insisted the marriage date had already been set and there was no need to hurry, Hussain said.

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