October 30, 2024
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
In a suspected case of honour killing, police have taken in a man and his son for interrogation for allegedly immolating his 22-year-old daughter in the Gojra tehsil of Toba Tek Singh.
The victim identified as Adeela Bibi was reportedly immolated by her father Muhammad Akram Jattj allegedly with the assistance of his son Abdul Islam in their house in village Chak 360-JB on October 25, complainant police sub-inspector Javed Shaukat stated in the first information report in (FIR) registered with Gojran Saddar police station on October 28.
The family hurriedly buried the body without notifying the police. An informant tipped off police officials who visited the family to inquire about the suspicious death. The family members gave contradictory statements about the cause of the woman’s death.
Subsequently, police registered a case against the victim’s father and brother, charging them with the offence of murder and concealment of evidence. Both suspects were taken in for questioning over the suspicious death. Police said the initial investigation revealed the victim wished to marry someone of her liking which the family was vehemently against, adding that the victim’s body would be exhumed for an autopsy after getting permission from the court.
Human rights defenders estimate that roughly 1,000 women are killed in so-called honour killings in Pakistan every year. According to Punjab police website, a total of 150 cases of honour killings were lodged in the province last year.