Homicides of husbands on the rise in Lahore

In last one year, eight men have been murdered by wives or their hired killers

LAHORE: Incidents of wives murdering their husbands, either with their own hands or through those of hired killers, are increasing by the day. In the last year, eight such instances have occurred and created a disturbance among residents of the provincial capital.

The reason for such murderous acts is often stated to be a domestic dispute or marital misunderstandings. According to police records, the killing of husbands by their wives is increasing. In February this year, an investigation into the murder of a Pakistani Atomic Energy Commission employee revealed that his wife, Noreen, was desperately trying to present the crime as a robbery gone wrong.

However, it transpired the Noreen had killed her husband, Aamir, with the help of a paramour to get him out of the way. The incident took place when, one day, Aamir left his home to buy medicine for his father. He was shot dead on his way to the medical store. The murderer was identified as Nauman, the landlord.

In order to marry the wife of the victim, Nauman killed her husband. The investigation was completed and both accused were arrested. This was by no means an isolated incident in which the wife planned the murder or personally committed the deed of killing her husband.

In the last one year, wives of at least eight men were involved in the killing of their husbands in separate incidents. A woman was involved in the murder of scrap dealer Samiullah who was killed by his wife’s brothers.

In Harbanspura, Anum covered up the murder of her husband by presenting it as an act of suicide. She killed her husband by pushing him from a roof. Separately, a man named Arar in Manawan was killed after he was assaulted by his wife. In Nishtar colony, Huma, along with her brother, killed her husband Faraz.

Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Ismail Kharak said that many aspects are revealed in the initial investigations in incidents of a marital dispute. “The story usually revolves around the husband being unjust and abusive to his wife. In some cases, the woman’s marriage takes place against her wish and due to factors such as poverty.”

He added that in many instances, the husband is interested in another woman. In other cases, the man may also be addicted to illicit substances and this affects the overall marriage. He maintained that there are many television dramas and films that replicate and portray tragic incidents of society and normalise the issues, creating more problems for people.

Law Expert Syed Farhad Ali Shah told The Express Tribune that frustrations arise among women when they are betrayed by their husbands and allowed to get away with such actions. “The husbands are not punished due to flaws in the police investigation.”

SSP Investigation Zeeshan Asghar said there was a separate homicide wing to investigate murder cases. “The wing has trained staff which collects all evidence from the scene and sends it to a forensics team. The team also records statements of all the eyewitnesses and nearby residents. If they confess to the crime, the accused is arrested at the scene and taken to court.”

SSP Asghar said another major motive in such cases was that the women refuse to spend the rest of their lives with a man who is not of their choice. He further said that there are many incidents of abuse and trauma which compel the wife to commit the murderous act.

Religious scholar Dr Raghb Naeemi said that one of the reasons for a rise in such incidents is a lack of moral values. He added that parents should take the wishes of their children into account at the time of marriage.  He pointed out that the notion that marriage is an alliance between two families of problematic.

“The marital relationship between a man and a woman becomes secondary to extended families, so parental will is imposed on the groom and the bride. Such relationships are no longer sustainable.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2019.