Woman strangled to death over alleged illicit relations

Deceased’s husband and brother allege she had an affair with a villager

FAISALABAD: A woman was strangled to death allegedly by her brother and husband in the name of ‘honour’ within the precincts of Ludhianwala police on Tuesday.

Ludhianwala Police Station SHO Muhammad Younas told The Express Tribune that Tahira Bibi, a resident of Chak No 651/2, Jinnah Abadi, was asleep when her brother Niaz Ali and husband Mubarak Ali allegedly strangled her with a rope.



He added during preliminary interrogation, the accused confessed to murdering the woman and claimed that Tahira had an affair and illicit relations with a villager.

Younas said, “We have arrested both the suspects and registered a case on complaint of Muhammad Yousuf, the father of the deceased.”

Meanwhile, Victim’s husband Mubarak Ali told the police, “I warned her to refrain from such activities but she continued to have illicit relations.”

He claimed that Tahira’s brother also made efforts and tried to persuade her to end relations with the stranger but she did not heed their warnings. “Consequently, we decided to kill her and have no regrets,” he told the police.

Earlier, a man killed his 18-year-old sister in Kacha Khuh village of Khanewal District. Amna, a resident of Chak number 4, had eloped with Muhammad Yasin. The couple tied the knot in a court a few months ago.



Mudassir, Amna’s brother, was infuriated when he heard about their marriage. One week ago, a local court (Panchayat) called both the families and after hearing their arguments, told Yasin’s family to marry off his 10-year-old sister to Mudassir.

However, Yasin’s father refused to give his daughter in ‘vani’ – a practice in which a woman is handed over or forcibly married to someone in return for the sins of her male relative(s).

To avenge his ‘humiliation’, Mudassir murdered his sister with an axe.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2017.