‘Honour’ killings: Man, pregnant wife killed in newly rented house

Police suspect girl’s family behind killing as they disapproved of marriage.

LAHORE:

A man and his pregnant wife were murdered in their home in Hanjarwal police jurisdiction in the early hours of Tuesday.

Police investigators said they suspected the family of the girl were involved in the murder because the couple had married without their consent.

Nadeem Akhtar, 28, and Nageena, 22, both from Chakwal, were found dead in a house on Street No 3, Sarshad Town, after the landlord received an anonymous phone call saying his new tenants were dead.

The landlord’s son Muhammad Waqas told The Express Tribune that his father Anwar had reported the call to the police and they had gone together to the house, whose first floor Akhtar had rented just one day earlier. He said the caller had refused to identify himself but his mobile phone number had been passed on to the police.

Waqas said that another tenant lived on the ground floor and he had not reported hearing anything suspicious from the first floor.

Assistant Sub Inspector Ali said the bodies had been found in separate rooms with their throats cut and their mouths gagged. Their wounds were fresh. There were no other wounds on the bodies. He said three or four people had committed the murders. The crime scene had no evidence of a scuffle, he added.

He said that the couple had married without the consent of the girl’s family so it was possibly an “honour” killing. He said that the police were conducting raids to catch the family. He said that the number given by the landlord was being traced. SP (Operations) Zeeshan Asghar said that a case had been registered against the accused. At least five women have been murdered for “honour” in Lahore this month alone.

Shumaila, 17, was killed by her uncle after she arrived home late on the night of June 19. She was clubbed to death in Raiwind police precinct.

Irum, 16, daughter of Muhammad Saddique, was shot dead by her brother on June 18 in Green Town police jurisdiction.

Neelam, 18, wife of Tanveer, was killed by her brother on June 9 in Green Town police precinct. Nabeela, 21, was murdered by her father in Nawankot police jurisdiction on June 6 after she was kicked out of her husband’s house.

Salma, wife of Imran, was shot dead by her brother in Manga Mandi police precinct on June 2.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2011.