Brothers shoot sister and cousin dead over 'honor' in Haripur, Pakistan

Muhammad Imran and woman
born: -
shot: 20 August 2022
Residence: Haripur
Origin: Pakistan
Children: none
Perpetrators: Her brothers Khushal and Baidar and their cousin Mohammad Asif

On Saturday, August 20, 2022, brothers Khushal and Baidar and their cousin Mohammad Asif opened fire on Muhammad Imran and their sister at their home in Haripur, a town about 65 km north of Islamabad, killing them on the spot.

Police took the bodies to a local hospital for autopsy. One of the suspects, Mohammad Asif, was arrested while the Khushal and Baidar brothers are still at large.

"Honor" is cited as the motive for the shooting. The brothers killed their sister and maternal cousin on suspicion of a forbidden relationship.

Imran's brother told police that the husband of the deceased woman had asked Imran by phone to come to their house. Upon arrival, Imran got into an argument with the woman's brothers who were also there because of a domestic issue. Thereupon, Khushal, Baidar and their cousin Mohammad Asif opened fire on Iram, killing him.

Imran's brother further stated that the suspects later also shot their sister to portray the incident as an honor killing.

After the double murder, the district police chief ordered raids to arrest the fugitive suspects.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.