ntil a few hours before she was murdered by her brother, Maria was perfectly healthy. However, in the middle of the night, we were informed that she had died of cholera,” Muhammad Nawaz, a resident of Chak 477 JB, Toba Tek Singh, tells The News on Sunday.

Nawaz, a step-uncle of Maria, used to live in the same compound as her. He says he learnt later that 22-year-old Maria was strangled by her brother, Faisal, in the presence of their father Abdul Sattar and brother Shahbaz.

Expressing his shock at Maria’s death, he says that he had never imagined that she would be killed by her brother in front of other family members. “I was deeply traumatised when I saw the video that went viral on social media. I still haven’t been able to come to terms with her painful death,” he says. “I told her father to schedule the in the morning so that other relatives and villagers could also join the prayers but he did not heed my advise,” says Nawaz.

According to Nawaz, Maria’s mother had died a few years earlier. Since then, Maria had been managing the household. “Being step-relatives, our interaction with the family was limited. Had I known in time, I would have definitely tried to save her,” he says.

Maria was killed on March 17. The suspects buried her in the village cemetery the same night.

A shocking video of the murder surfaced on March 24. It showed the suspect, Faisal, choking his sister. She lay on a cot. Their father sat nearby. The crime was recorded by her other brother, Shahbaz, using his mobile phone camera.

Sub Inspector Ali Raza, the investigating officer, told TNS that an FIR was registered immediately and the suspects were arrested soon after the video appeared on social media. “We had received information about the mysterious death of the girl and were making inquiries when this video came to light,” he said.

Asked about allegations of sexual assault by suspects Asif and Abdul Sattar, the officer said no evidence of rape or sexual assault had been found.

“The FIR was initially filed under PPC Sections 302, 34 and 201. Section 311 (honour killing/ fisad fil arz) was included later,” Raza said. He said that the main suspects, Asif and Abdul Sattar, had been charged with murder. Shahbaz and his wife Sumera had been charged with concealing the crime.

According to information on the PFSA’s website, DNA samples obtained from a person after the death can be used to prove rape or sexual assault. However, it is essential that these samples are collected and preserved in accordance with the procedures specified in the DNA Act 2017 and the Criminal Procedure Code.

Considering the DNA report did not indicate rape or sexual assault, the inclusion of Section 311 of the PPC in the FIR has raised questions. Toba Tek Singh Police spokesperson, Inspector Ataullah, said during the investigation, Asif and Shahbaz had accused each other of having illicit relations with their sister. They had also said they suspected that the victim had inappropriate relations with someone else.

Asked about obtaining DNA samples, Ataullah said that exhumation and sampling were carried out by expert doctors and trained police personnel. He said a magistrate was present to supervise the process.

He said Shahbaz had shared the murder video with some close relatives. One of them had then uploaded it on social media. However, the police have yet to identify the person.

Nasir Iqbal Advocate, a senior lawyer from Toba Tek Singh who belongs to Chak 477 GB, said that the family of the deceased had been living in a settlement outside the village for many decades. There had never been any trouble before this incident.

“Abdul Sattar and his brothers live in separate houses within the same compound. It has a single gate. Abdul Sattar had spent some time in Saudi Arabia. His sons ran a clothing store,” he said.

He said there was a need for further investigation to uncover the motive. “…An in-depth inquiry is crucial to understand the extreme actions taken and to ensure that such tragedies are prevented in the future,” the lawyer said.

In May 2023, in a similar incident in Jhang district, a woman named Zarina Bibi was doused with kerosene oil and burnt alive by her family for expressing a desire to marry a man of her choice.

In July 2021, two cousins, 19-year-old Samia and 17-year-old Sadia from Faisalabad, were strangled to death by their father and uncle after they were seen eating in a restaurant with a stranger.

These tragic events highlight a disturbing trend of violence against women based on perceived breaches of an honour code within the families.

According to Punjab Police statistics, between 2011 and 2022, there were 3,330 murders in the province under the guise of so-called honour crime.

The highest number of such killings, 960, occurred in the Lahore region. Additionally, the Faisalabad region reported 659 murders, Sargodha region 440, Gujranwala region 410, Multan region 375, Dera Ghazi Khan region 349, Bahawalpur region 301, Sahiwal region 265 and Rawalpindi region 126. These figures demonstrate a troubling pattern of killings based on cultural and social norms.

According to a report from the National Police Bureau’s Gender Crime Cell, there were 25,935 incidents of gender-based violence reported across the country in 2020.

Of these, the Punjab accounted for 19,388 incidents, Sindh 4,005, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1,548, Balochistan 601, Islamabad 137, Gilgit Baltistan 23, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 231 cases. Additionally, the issues of workplace harassment and online harassment are emerging as new challenges in the context of gender-based violence.

According to a report by the United Nations Population Fund, 32 per cent of women in Pakistan face physical violence and 40 per cent of married women have reported marital abuse at some point. The UNFPA notes that these statistics may not fully represent the actual extent of the problem as nearly 50 per cent of the women who have faced violence never sought help or reported the abuse.

The UNFPA says that despite various laws to prevent gender-based violence and assist victims, the rate of convictions in such cases has been only 1 to 2.5 per cent. This indicates significant challenges in addressing and mitigating gender-based violence.

Maria Rustum, an advocate and human rights activist from Faisalabad, says that there is a need to enhance the training and capabilities of investigating officers, prosecutors and judicial officers in order to improve the conviction rates in cases of gender-based violence.

“Article 25 of the constitution states, “There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone.” Article 28 mandates that “Measures shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of life.”

Rustum says patriarchal norms, social stigma and the fear of retaliatory violence deter many women from coming forward and reporting gender-based violence. “Reducing incidents of honour killings and gender-based violence requires a shift in societal behaviours and mindsetsthat promote the perception of women as a possession or liability,” she says.

She also stresses the importance of strict enforcement of existing laws and taking further measures to reduce gender inequality.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets @naeemahmad876