Home Latest News Five Indicted for Bludgeoning Pregnant Woman to Death

Five Indicted for Bludgeoning Pregnant Woman to Death

by AFP
Mohammad Iqbal holds a picture of his wife, Farzana. Aamir Qureshi—AFP

Mohammad Iqbal holds a picture of his wife, Farzana. Aamir Qureshi—AFP

Farzana Iqbal’s father, brothers, ex-husband and a cousin have been indicted for murder, torture and terrorism.

An Anti-Terrorism Court on Saturday indicted five men, including a father and two brothers, for the brutal murder of a woman bludgeoned to death for marrying against their wishes.

Farzana Iqbal was battered to death outside the Lahore High Court in May by over two-dozen attackers armed with bricks, including numerous relatives.

“The court today indicted the father, two brothers, one cousin and ex-husband of the victim for murder, torture and terrorism,” said Mian Zulfiqar, the police officer investigator on the case. Witnesses have been called to record their statements before the court on Monday, he added.

The killing sparked outrage because of its brazen and brutal nature and claims that police did nothing to save Parveen, who was three months pregnant.

The United States branded the incident “heinous” and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demanded immediate action to catch the killers. Hundreds of Pakistani women are murdered by their relatives each year on the grounds of defending family “honor.” But Pakistan’s blood-money laws allow a victim’s family to forgive the murderer, which makes prosecuting so-called “honor” cases difficult because the killer is usually a relative.

The murdered woman’s husband, Mohammad Iqbal, admitted he had strangled his first wife out of love for Farzana. He was spared jail for his first wife’s murder because his sons persuaded her family to pardon him under the blood-money laws.

Related Articles

Leave a Comment