Three held over teen’s ‘honour killing’

Efforts are under way to arrest Uncle, who is a co-accused in case, says police

ABBOTTABAD:

Police claim to have arrested three suspects, including the father and two brothers of a teenage girl, who was killed in the name of honour in the Palas area of Kohistan district on Monday. The tragic incident occurred in the wake of a decision taken by a local Jirga after videos of Reema Bibi with a boy went viral on social media.

The police also claim to have arrested two others for instigating the girl’s father for the murder of his teenage daughter in the name of honour. Efforts were under way to arrest the real uncle of the deceased who was also the co-accused in the case. According to police, the victim’s father Arsal and uncle Muhammad Nawaz shot her to death on the orders of Jirga.

The suspects fled away from the scene after killing the girl. Police had shifted the body to Patan Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem examination and a case was registered against the victim’s father and uncle on the complaint of the local Station House Officer. Sources said Kohistan police placed the boy in protective custody who was with the victim in the widely shared video.

Read Father of girl killed for ‘honour’ arrested

Many similar incidents have happened in Kohistan in the past. Eight young girls were killed over a dance at a ceremony in Kohistan earlier this year. Afzal Kohistani, his three brothers and five dancing women were killed on the decision of Jirga over the dance incident. Local sources have said that the Supreme Court also took notice of the incident of Kohistani, yet the killings went on and the accused were acquitted.

The remaining members of the late Afzal Kohistani’s family were being held captive by the released suspects. Local sources further said that the boy’s life was in peril following the killing of the girl. In Kohistan, when such an occurrence is uncovered, the girl’s parents declare her to be “daaghi” in the Jirga which orders her killing.