HONOUR KILLING OF PAKISTANI PREGNANT WOMAN IS NOT ACCEPTABLE?

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demanded to know yesterday why police stood by while a pregnant woman was beaten to death by her family in front of one of the country’s top courts. 

Farzana Iqbal, 25, was killed by a group of attackers, including her father, on Tuesday because she had married the man she loved and prompted the anger of her family. 

• An investigation into the case showed that her husband had earlier killed his first wife, said a source in Sharif’s administration. 
• A statement from Sharif’s office described Iqbal’s death as a “brutal killing” and said it was “totally unacceptable”. 
• “I am directing the chief minister to take immediate action and a report must be submitted by this evening to my office,” it quoted Sharif as saying. 
• Her husband said that police did nothing during the 15 minutes the violence lasted outside Lahore High Court. 
• “I begged them to help us but they said, this is not our duty,” Muhammed Iqbal told Reuters. “I took off my shirt (to be humble) and begged them to save her.” 
• Later a source in Sharif’s administration quoted a Lahore police report as saying that Iqbal had killed his first wife. 

The person, who she had married had actually killed his own wife in an earlier case and remained a proclaimed offender. He was later arrested and was released on bail. Not a pristine character, according to source. 

The husband was not immediately available for comment.

In parts of Pakistan, a largely Muslim nation of 180 million people, women are expected to agree to arranged marriages and refusal can mean an “honour killing”.

Source: Reuter