November 9th, 2021
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
In yet another case of suspected honour killing, a 25-year-old woman who married against the wishes of her family, was shot dead outside the compound of a sessions court in Gujrat.
On Monday, Muneeba Bibi came to the sessions court to record her statement in a kidnapping case registered by her faimly against her husband Adnan Ahmed and her brother-in-law. The case had been registered only some time after she had eloped and married a few days ago.
“In her recorded statement, Muneeba told the court that she was not kidnapped and had willingly married me,” Adnan Ahmed told Voicepk.net.
As Muneeba left the court in a car alongside her husband sitting in the backseat, unknown assailants sped alongside the car as it slowed down in a traffic rush near Kutchery Chowk, and opened fire at her. According to the First Investigation Report (FIR) registered with the Civil Lines police station, Muneeba died on the spot due to the gunshot wounds.
Adnan has nominated Muneeba’s father, brother and a cousin in the murder case. “Muneeba had married me against the wishes of her family a few days ago and the accused held a grudge against her,” Adnan told police officials in the FIR.
He said authorities had handed over Muneeba’s body after the autopsy. She was laid to rest in a local graveyard after her funeral on Tuesday, Adnan said. However Adnan said his life may still be in danger too, as the assassins had intended to kill them both.
A Civil Lines police official told Voicepk.net that Muneeba’s father has been detained for interrogation but not yet arrested in connection with the murder. The official said the brother and the cousin nominated in the case were absconding and raids were being carried out to arrest them.
The Gujrat police spokesperson Asad Abbas said a murder case had been registered on the complaint of Adnan Ahmed against the woman’s father, a brother, and a maternal cousin. He said police have also collected footage of closed-circuit cameras installed around the crime scene. “The investigation is ongoing and we will soon arrest those accused of murder,” he said.
According to the Punjab police website, there were a total of 237 reported cases of honour killings in the province in 2020. Out of the total cases, seven cases were reported from the Gujrat district last year. According to the police data, a total of 61 cases of honour killings have been reported from Gujrat district from 2011 to 2020.