Teen couple killed for 'honour' in Lahore

17-year-old girl ran away three days ago and stayed at residence of an 18-year-old boy which infuriated her family

LAHORE:

A 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy were murdered by the former’s father reportedly in the name of "honour" in Kahna town of Lahore district on Wednesday.

As per details, the victim ran away three days ago and stayed at the residence of her friend Adnan Maseeh which infuriated the girl's family.

The suspect on the day of the incident after finding an opportunity shot at the victims. Both received bullet wounds and died on the spot.

Police transferred the bodies to morgue for autopsy and were investigating the matter further after collecting evidence.

Read more: Young couple allegedly murdered for ‘honour’

The Inspector General Police Punjab (IGP) Faisal Shahkar took notice of the incident and sought a report of the incident from CCPO Lahore. He also directed senior officers to reach at the crime scene immediately.

The Punjab IGP directed DIG operations to constitute special teams to arrest the accused as soon as possible.

All five suspects including the prime accused Sharif Mayo were later arrested in the case.

Hundreds of women are killed each year in Pakistan by family members over perceived damage to “honour” that can involve eloping, fraternising with men or any other infraction against conservative values that govern women’s modesty.

The country adopted legislation against honour killings in 2016, introducing tough punishment and closing a legal loophole that allowed killers to walk free if pardoned by family members.

Rights groups estimate that nearly 1,000 such killings take place annually.