August 20, 2026
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
A woman was shot dead said to have been killed by her brother in Chak No. 15-NB in Bhalwal, Sargodha, in an “honour killing,” according to a First Information Report (FIR) registered at Bhalwal Sadar Police Station.
The FIR, registered on August 13 under Sections 302 (murder), 311 (punishment for qatl-e-amd not liable to qisas) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, states that three police officials were riding through Chak No. 15-NB on a motorcycle around 4:30 pm — escorting an accused in connection with pending warrants — when they noticed the door of Omer Hayat’s house standing open.
What the FIR says happened
According to the FIR, the police found that a man identified as Muhammad Afaq, armed with a 9mm pistol, along with an accomplice, had forcibly detained a woman inside the house. She was later identified as Sonia Bibi. The FIR states that the two men were abusing her, and that Afaq accused his sister of “reducing his honour to dust” by having illicit relationships with men, telling her she had no right to be his sister and that he would not let her live.
Afaq then allegedly opened fire on Sonia, hitting her in the right shoulder/chest area, before both accused fled the scene, the FIR states.
Police constables at the scene, with help from nearby residents, arranged a vehicle to take Sonia who was in critical condition to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Bhalwal, and then on to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Sargodha. She died from her injuries on the way to DHQ Hospital. Her body was shifted to THQ Bhalwal.
Accused arrested, confesses
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Sargodha police, Khurram Iqbal, told Voicepk that the accused, Muhammad Afaq, has been arrested and has confessed to killing his sister “in the name of honour.” Iqbal said that no one else was present in the house at the time Afaq shot her. He also confirmed that the case has been transferred to the Crime Control Department (CCD) of Sargodha police.
A recurring pattern
Data from the Punjab Police website shows 19 cases of honour killings were reported in 2020, 14 in 2021, 19 in 2022, and 11 in 2023.
A report titled “Violence Against Women Punjab 2025,” published by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), recorded 89 cases of honour killings in Punjab between January and June 2025 alone — data the organization obtained from the police department through Right to Information (RTI) requests.
Investigation into the case is ongoing.