Girl, boy killed over suspected affair

Both condemned to death after being declared ‘Karo-kari’.

LAHORE: A girl and her alleged lover were killed in a Karo-kari (‘honour’ killing) incident in Rajanpur, police officials told The Express Tribune on Sunday. The incident reportedly took place on the night between Saturday and Sunday in the Basti Sardar Chang area.  

Investigation Officer Ghulam Akbar told The Express Tribune that the deceased, Shahina Bibi and Abdul Malik, were cousins suspected of involvement in an illicit affair. The complaint was registered by Malik’s father, Mohkam Din, he added.

According to Din’s statement, Malik and Shahina were killed at her father’s residence. Din had sought Shahina’s hand in marriage for his son, regarding which the two were visiting her father, Muhammad Ali.  Muhammad Ali had already concluded his daughter’s engagement with her other cousin, Afsar Ali. Unbeknown to either Din or his son, Shahina’s family elders, upon suspecting her of illicit relations with Malik, declared both of them ‘kari’ and passed a death sentence upon them.

Upon their arrival at Muhammad Ali’s house, Shahina and Malik were shot by four assailants led by her fiancé Afsar, Din’s statement added. He identified the other assailants as Shahina’s brother Ashraf and her two cousins, Ataullah and Safdar Ali.

A case against the four has been registered under sections 302 and 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Sadder Rajanpur police station. It is significant to note, that while section 302 deals directly with acts of murder, section 311 directs the court to rule out any later retraction of statements by the accused. According to Investigation Officer Akbar, section 311 had been invoked since Karo-kari related complaints are often retracted later due to mounting community pressures on the aggrieved party.

No arrest has been made so far, despite various raids claimed by Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Talib Hussain.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2012.