August 20, 2026
By Rashid Laghari
HYDERABAD
16-year-old Farwa Qaimkhani was shot dead in the name of honour in Tando Allahyar District’s Jinnah Colony, within the jurisdiction of B-Section police station.
Initially, the victim’s family attempted to portray the incident as a suicide. However, when police arrived at the scene and entered the house, the scene told a different story. The 16-year-old girl’s body, lying on the floor, bore signs of torture, and the bullet that struck her had passed straight through her body.
Police took custody of the body and moved it to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Tando Allahyar, where the post-mortem confirmed that the bullet that struck Farwa’s chest had passed completely through. Initially, after the post-mortem, the body was handed over to her relatives, but when they were summoned to register a case, they refused to do so.
Following this refusal, police themselves became the complainant and registered a case at B-Section police station. The case names the victim’s father, Zubair; her brother, Abdullah, and two relatives, Osama Qaimkhani and Imran Qaimkhani.
According to police, the letters “KF” had been tattooed on the victim’s arm, which raised suspicion that she had been killed in the name of honour.
According to Tousif Arain, in-charge of B-Section police station, an initial attempt was made to conceal the murder.
“When police arrived and investigated the matter, it was discovered that the girl had been shot dead. Spent pistol shell casings were also recovered from the crime scene. The accused are currently in police custody on physical remand.”
Police Surgeon Hyderabad, Dr. Muhammad Asif told Voicepk that when the parents initially brought the body, they insisted on taking it back without a post-mortem.
“On the night of August 14th, police brought the body back. During the post-mortem, it was found that the victim had been shot, and the bullet had passed completely through her body. The post-mortem report has been handed over to the relevant police authorities.”
This incident has once again sparked debate over the rising trend of honour killings in Sindh. Advocate Nisar Ahmed Chandio said he would never accept the accusation of “siyahkari” [an alleged illicit relationship, traditionally cited to justify honour killings] in Sindh. According to him, granting women freedom and autonomy is their fundamental right. “In cases where police themselves act as the complainant in the murder of women, the accused are being convicted. In nearly 80 percent of such cases, the accused are currently serving their sentences.”
According to Amar Sindhu, a leader of the Women Action Forum, Hyderabad, the roots of this trend lie in the societal mindset.
“Society has never given a woman’s will and autonomy their rightful place, and this mindset has now escalated to the point of brutally murdering her. Now it isn’t just murder — the worst forms of torture are being inflicted alongside it,” Sindhu told Voicepk.
More than 50 women have been killed in the name of honour in Sindh so far this year. Women’s rights activists say that unless strict and swift sentences are handed down in such cases, this cycle is unlikely to stop.