Newly-wed couple shot dead in Pakistan’s Punjab province in apparent honour killing

Lahore, August 4

In the latest apparent case of honour killing in Pakistan, a newly-wed couple has been shot dead in the Punjab province, police said on Friday.

According to police, Muhammad Zulfiqar, 30, and Shagufta Bibi, 23, were killed in the early hours of Wednesday, when unidentified suspects entered his house and shot them dead on the spot.

Zulfiqar, a resident of Phoolnagar, Kasur district, around 60 km from Lahore, got married to Shagufta a couple of weeks ago without the consent of her family, police said.

“The family of Shagufta was against her choice as they wanted to marry her off to a relative. A couple of weeks ago she eloped with Zulfiqar whom she loved and contracted court marriage,” they said.

An FIR has been registered against the father and brothers of Shagufta.

According to human rights activists, around 1,000 women are killed in the name of honour every year in Pakistan.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has reported an average of 650 honour killings annually over the past decade.

But since most go unreported, the real number is likely to be much higher.

The victims of honour killings are widely perceived to have brought shame and dishonour to their families either by marrying against their will or having an affair.

Most often the family members are behind such killings.