Islamabad: A pregnant Pakistani woman was killed in a new ‘honour’ killing case one week after the murder of popular social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, a report said on Saturday.
According to the report on the website of ‘Dawn’ newspaper, a man, aided by his brother, killed his pregnant wife in the Shangla district of north-western Khyber Pakthunkhwa province.
The report quoted police officer Afzal Khan as saying the man, identified as Bajreen, took his wife Minat Sajida’s life after “accusing her of infidelity”.
The police official said the woman was five months pregnant and she was shot dead with a pistol. Both Bajreen and his brother have been missing since the murder, he said.
In the last eight months, three ‘honour’ killing incidents have occurred in the area, the official said, adding that most of the culprits had been arrested and sent to prison, the police official said.
Human rights bodies say around a thousand cases of killing in the name of protecting family honour are reported in Pakistan each year.
Two days ago, a committee comprising lawmakers from both the lower and upper houses of parliament unanimously approved two bills aimed at tackling crimes of ‘honour’ killing and rape.
A joint session of the two houses will be convened soon to pass the bills, according to Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
