The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
A man who recently returned to Pakistan with his family from the United States has confessed to killing his teenage daughter over objections to her TikTok videos, police confirmed to the BBC.
Anwar ul-Haq, a US citizen, admitted to shooting his 13- or 14-year-old daughter, Hira Anwar, in the southwestern city of Quetta on Tuesday.
Initially, Haq claimed that unidentified men were responsible for the shooting, but later confessed to the crime, citing his disapproval of his daughter’s social media posts. Police are investigating all angles, including the possibility of an honor killing, a form of violence often linked to family members who claim to be protecting their family’s reputation.
Honor killings remain a significant issue in Pakistan, with human rights organizations reporting that hundreds of people, particularly women, fall victim to such crimes each year. In many cases, these killings are carried out by close relatives.
In Hira’s case, police stated that the family had issues with her dress, lifestyle, and social activities. The family had lived in the US for 25 years, and Hira had started sharing videos on TikTok before they moved back to Pakistan. Authorities have seized her phone, which remains locked, as part of the investigation.
Anwar ul-Haq’s brother-in-law has also been arrested in connection with the crime. If it is determined to be an honor killing, both men could face mandatory life sentences under a 2016 law, which removed the possibility of pardon by the victim’s family, a loophole that previously allowed perpetrators to avoid punishment.
The case brings to mind other tragic instances of honor killings, such as the 2023 conviction of an Italian court that sentenced a Pakistani couple to life imprisonment for killing their 18-year-old daughter over her refusal to accept an arranged marriage. Similarly, the 2016 murder of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch, who was killed by her brother for allegedly bringing shame to the family, resulted in his initial conviction and later acquittal on appeal.
By: BBC
