Honour killing story: man kills four female relatives because of 'honour' in Sheikhupura

Kaneez Fatima, Shabana Akhtar, Faiza Akhtar, Zonara
Born: -
Shot to death: January 30, 2021
Residence: Sheikhupura in Pakistan
Origin: Pakistan
Children: 1
Perpetrator: son Shakil Akhtar

On Saturday, January 30, 2021, Shakil Akhtar exchanged harsh words with his family members. His mother tried to calm him down, but he did not listen to her. Instead, he became angry and opened fire on her and three other female members of his family. As a result of the shooting, his mother Kaneez Fatima, wife Shabana, daughter Faiza and sister-in-law Zonara were killed at the scene. Shakil escaped from the crime scene.

The district commissioner took note of the incident and ordered the local police to arrest the killer as soon as possible.

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.