Six members of a family were gunned down in their sleep in the name of ‘honour’ in Salaro village in Matiari district’s riverine area early on Monday morning.
The victims were identified as Murtaza Rind, who was at the centre of the dispute, his brothers Majnoo Rind, 23, and Bhutto, 20, and sisters Ms Gulabi, 21; Ms Jadon, 38, and baby Samreen. A 10-year-old relative, Shakeela, suffered injuries while Murtaza’s wife Nasreen and her baby miraculously escaped unhurt. Matiari police said that gunmen barged into Murtaza’s house and sprayed his family members sleeping on cots with bullets. The attack was an offshoot a running feud between Brohi and Rind tribes over free-will marriage of Nasreen Brohi with Murtaza.
Why is honour killing so rampant in Pakistan?
Seeking justice is extremely problematic in Pakistan, as a wide legal loophole currently exists that allows perpetrators of “honor” killings to escape any punishment. Under Pakistani law in cases of murder, the victim’s family is allowed to pardon the perpetrators. The culprits are then free from prosecution and sentencing.
