This report is part of AGHS Legal Aid Cell’s campaign ‘Report SGBV – Break the Silence’.
July 04, 2023
By Maryam Missal
KASUR/LAHORE
A man murdered his two teenage daughters in the name of ‘honour’ on Sunday, July 2 in the vicinity of the Nathawali area of Kasur. A case has been registered on the complaint of the victims’ mother, while the accused is on the run.
According to the first information report (FIR), Ahmed was talking with his daughters, 19 and 16 years old, regarding honour and familial respect. However, the conversation devolved into a bitter argument.
In the heat of the moment, Ahmed pulled out a pistol and opened fire on both women who were killed on the spot. He then fled the scene.
The victim’s mother, Jamila Bibi, nominated her husband in the FIR registered in Kasur Cantt police station under Sections 302 (murder) and 311 (mischief on earth) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
A Rescue 1122 team shifted the bodies to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in Kasur. According to the District Police Officer (DPO) Tariq Aziz Sindhu, a team has been constituted to arrest the accused. According to the latest reports, the forensic team has collected evidence from the crime scene.
In the FIR of the incident, Jamila Bibi condemned her husband’s actions and urged for immediate action against him.
Legal experts at AGHS Legal Aid Cell say that following the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences in the Name or on pretext of Honour) Act 2016, the offence of honour killing now carries a mandatory life sentence (25 years imprisonment). Furthermore, honour killing is a non-compoundable offence under section 311 of the PPC, meaning that families/next of kin of the victim cannot pardon the accused. The latter amendment is considered especially important as in many honour-related crimes, the accused is often a relative of the victim, with families opting to spare them any punishment.
In 2022, 176 cases of honour killings were reported in Punjab while Sindh recorded 217 cases.