Pregnant woman, husband killed for 'honour' in Pakistan

A heavily pregnant woman and her husband have become latest victims of suspected honour killing in Pakistan, just a day after another pregnant woman was killed by her own mother in the same Punjab province for contracting marriage against parents' will.

Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his wife Aqsa, 26, were allegedly killed for 'honour' by the latter's brother who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia.

Shakil, who worked at a government school in Faisalabad, had been married four years with Aqsa, who worked as a lady health visitor in Rural Health Centre.

Three days ago Aqsa's brother along with her mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couple's house, mercilessly beating them and afterwards took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them, the Express Tribune reported.

There bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night.

Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakil's father, Khushi Muhammad.

An autopsy revealed that the deceased were killed by gun fires on their head. Visible marks of injuries were also found on their bodies.

The postmortem report also showed that Aqsa was pregnant and was to deliver a baby in four days, the report said.

Inspector Muhammad Waris of Police Station, Thikriwala said that one suspect has been arrested while the others managed to flee.

On Friday, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her own mother in Gujranwala, Punjab, for contracting marriage against families will.

Last week Zeenat, 18, was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her own choice.

At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour.