September 10, 2023
Maryam Missal
LAHORE
One Baggoo Alkani, a resident of the Chucha area of Rajanpur district in division Dera Ghazi Khan, and his two brothers allegedly stoned his wife, Zarnaz, to death in the name of ‘honour’ on August 30.
A first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered by the Border Military Police (BMP) under sections 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder) and 311 (punishment for murder if act taking place in order to facilitate the commission of a crime) on the complaint of the victim’s brother.
According to the FIR, Zarnaz was taken to a desolate area some four to five kilometres from her residence and made to lie on the ground before she was pelted and stabbed with sharp stones by the accused.
“She did not do anything wrong. Now they are spreading lies about her character,” the victim’s uncle, Allah Daad, told Voicepk.net.
Baggoo’s family however claims that Zarnaz developed a friendly relationship with another man identified as Tauseef, which stoked anger and jealousy in her husband, eventually leading to the violent offense. The victim’s family strongly disputes these accusations, asserting that she was a loyal wife for the entire two years of her marriage.
Local sources on the other hand report a completely different version of events, suggesting that Zarnaz was not forcibly taken from her house. Rather, her husband allegedly found her with Tauseef at their home. In a fit of rage, Baggoo grabbed stones lying about and attacked his wife. She fell on the floor, and the accused continued the assault until she succumbed to her injuries.
Due to the rocky terrain of the area, there are multiple stones lying about that Baggoo was easily able to access.
“[The tribal men] here are ignorant people. They kill their sisters, daughters, mothers or daughters-in-law by calling it karo-kari (honour killing) out of enmity with someone else. They do not wait for proof. They still live in the stone age when it comes to women,” said Ilyas, a local reporter, while in conversation with Voicepk.net.
The three accused are evading arrest, while the victim’s family strongly believes that they are in Balochistan, approximately three kilometres away from the border.
The BMP has stated that they are making an effort to apprehend the accused as soon as possible, and have already raided his and his close relatives’ home. However, the rocky and uneven terrain of the region is impeding swift mobilization.
Local sources also told Voicepk.net that the limited jurisdiction of the Punjab Police prevents them from making arrests in Balochistan, and the cooperation of the Balochistan Police has yet to be secured.
“We are poor people. We do not own any lands or have any name in the region, we have no choice but to rely on the police’s help. We are awaiting justice for our daughter,” Daad pled.