Man murders daughter and young man in Karachi over ‘Honour’

A man in Karachi’s Malir area fatally shot his daughter and her friend on Tuesday, claiming it was an act of ‘honour.’ The incident occurred at the suspect’s residence in Rafah-e-Aam Society.

According to police, the suspect, identified as Azhar, alleged that he found the two together on the rooftop of his home. Enraged by the situation, he shot them at close range, resulting in their immediate deaths.

The victims were identified as 18-year-old Fatima and 20-year-old Ali.

Following the murders, the suspect, Azhar, surrendered to the local police and confessed to killing his daughter and her friend in the name of ‘honour,’ police reported.

In his initial statement, Azhar claimed that he had repeatedly warned the young man to stop visiting his residence, but his warnings were ignored.

Police revealed that Azhar, a garment trader, had been residing in Malir’s Rafah-e-Aam Society for approximately 20 years.

Much of Pakistan operates under a rigid “honour” code, where women are often bound by the decisions of male relatives regarding education, employment, and marriage.

Each year, hundreds of women are killed in Pakistan for allegedly violating this code. In 2022 alone, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan recorded 316 “honour” crimes against women. However, many such cases remain unreported, as families frequently shield the perpetrators, who are often male relatives.