Family kills girl to prevent love marriage

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Pattan (Srinagar): Twenty-four-year-old Hilal Ahmad has not been able to come to terms with the tragedy that has hit him.

Ahmad’s dream of marrying his childhood sweetheart, Safia, will remain a dream now after she died under mysterious circumstances last week.
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Ahmad alleges foul play. “The way she was buried in the dead of the night suggests she was murdered. I am sure she was killed by her brothers. They accused her of bringing bad name to the family. Had she committed suicide, they would have informed relatives,” says he.

Ahmad’s family members say Safia’s family was against marrying their daughter off to Ahmad.

Meanwhile the police in Pattan, Baramullah district have registered a case of suicide, but are willing to probe any possibility of foul play.

SDPO Pattan, Mohammad Yousuf says, “A case has been registered. According to reports, Safia wanted to marry Ahmad. We are investigating the matter and if need be, we will seek permission from the deputy commissioner to exhume the body.”

The dead girl’s family’s version is that she committed suicide, but when CNN-IBN tried to get sin touch with them, they refused to speak to the reporter.

Meanwhile villagers of Pattan are shocked at what may be the first case of honour killing in the Valley.

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:

Questions about honour killings

  • 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.

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