HYDERABAD: The grisly social tendency of punishing free-will marriage couples and their helpers with death claimed nine more lives in Larkana and Shikarpur districts on Monday, highlighting the continuing social toll of so-called honour-related conflicts in rural Sindh.
Massacre in Larkana
In the first incident, armed men attacked a house in the Sindh Green Colony area of Larkana, killing a woman and three of her children while they were asleep, and injuring two other family members, including a child. Police identified the deceased as Zareena, 55; Zameer, 36; Roshan, 28; and Saima. Police said the violence stemmed from a long-standing dispute between two Mugheri families, allegedly linked to an earlier honour killing case involving the murder of Asghar Mugheri two years ago.
Father Kills Daughter and Son-in-Law
In a separate incident in Larkana, a man shot dead his daughter and her husband near Atta Turk Tower within the jurisdiction of Allahabad police station. The accused, Parehal Unar, later surrendered himself to police. The couple, Firdous, 30, and Javed Korkani, had reportedly married without the consent of the woman's family.
Deadly Clash in Shikarpur
In another incident in Shikarpur district, a dispute between two groups of the Bakhrani caste over an honour-related issue turned deadly in Shaheedabad. Agha and Bakhrani were killed on the spot, while Marvi later succumbed to her injuries at a hospital. FIRs in the cases had not been registered till the time of reporting.
These incidents underscore the persistent and brutal enforcement of patriarchal norms in rural areas, where couples marrying for love often face violent retaliation from their families. Despite legal prohibitions, honour killings remain a grave concern in parts of Pakistan, particularly in Sindh province.
