Man kills daughter, son-in-law, 2 kids for ‘honour’

HAFIZABAD: A man allegedly murdered his daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons for ‘honour’ at Nasowal village on Saturday.

Sana had contracted love marriage with Firdous against the will of her father Gulzar Ahmad about four years ago. The couple had two children Zain, 3, and Husnain, 2, from the wedlock. On the day of the incident, Sana, her husband Firdous and children were sleeping in the house when Gulzar Ahmad entered and allegedly murdered them with the help of a sharp-edged weapon. The bodies have been shifted to the THQ Hospital for autopsy. Jalalpur Bhattian police have arrested the accused and recovered a weapon from him. Meanwhile, District Police Officer Saifullah Khattak reached the spot and told newsmen that the FIR has been lodged under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

News desk adds: Scores of people in Pakistan, an overwhelming majority of whom are women, are murdered by relatives in the name of ‘honour’.

Women have been shot, stabbed, stoned, set alight and strangled for bringing ‘shame’ on their families for everything from refusing marriage proposals to wedding the ‘wrong’ man and helping friends elope. Men can be victims too, but the violence is overwhelmingly aimed at women.

In October 2016, a joint sitting of both houses of parliament passed two key pro-women bills that had been pending assent for a long time. However, scores of young women are still being murdered by relatives for bringing shame on their family.