His case gained notoriety due to the fact that Sarwar had been acquitted under controversial circumstances for killing at least four prostitutes years prior, which he claimed had done because they had broken Islamic law.
[citation needed] While little is known of his upbringing, his neighbors claimed that he was greatly influenced by his mother, a very religious woman who strictly adhered to the Ahl-i Hadith sect's teachings and observed purdah.
The police later released a statement claiming that this decision came about since the victims' family members had accepted diyāt and that Sarwar was diagnosed by a prison psychiatrist as "normal, but religiously fanatical.
[4] On February 20, 2007, Sarwar attended a gathering in Gujranwala held by Zille Huma Usman, the then-Provincial Minister for Social Welfare, who was addressing her party members about new policices.
Shortly after asking her why she was not wearing a proper Islamic dress, he pulled out a gun and shot Usman in the head, causing her severe injuries that later led to her death at a hospital.