Lahore, Pakistan - A Pakistani girl was burned alive by her mother on Wednesday after marrying a man of her own choice, police said, the latest in a string of so-called "honor killings" in the country.
Zeenat Bibi, 16-year-old was set on fire by her mother Perveen Bibi in the eastern city of Lahore a little more than a week after the wedding, police said.
Perveen killed her daughter Zeenat by burning her alive around 9:00 am on Wednesday, Haidar Ashraf, a senior police official told AFP, adding the teen had married a man named Hasan on May 29.
It was the third incident "honor killing" in as many months.
Last week, 19-year-old Maria Sadaqat was tortured and burned by a group of people in a village close to the holiday resort of Muree, outside the capital Islamabad, for refusing a marriage proposal from the son of a former colleague.
Another woman believed to be aged between 16 to 18 was drugged, strangled and her body burned on the orders of a village jirga (council) in Northwest Pakistan on April 29,allegedly for helping a friend to elope with her lover.
Zeenat's husband Hasan told local TV station Geo News that the pair had eloped, but he had reluctantly allowed her to return to her family home after they promised they would hold a celebration and not harm her.
He said; "after living with me for four days following our marriage, her family contacted us and promised they would throw us a proper wedding party after eight days then we could live together.
"Zeenat was unwilling to go back to her home and told me that she would be killed by her family but later agreed when one of her uncles guaranteed her safety.
"After two days, she called me and said that her family had gone back on their word and asked me to come get her, but I told her to wait for the promised eight days. Then, she was killed."
Police said Perveen and other family members had confessed to the crime and seized kerosene oil from the scene. Hundreds of women are murdered by their own family in Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honor.
Zeenat Bibi, 16-year-old was set on fire by her mother Perveen Bibi in the eastern city of Lahore a little more than a week after the wedding, police said.
Perveen killed her daughter Zeenat by burning her alive around 9:00 am on Wednesday, Haidar Ashraf, a senior police official told AFP, adding the teen had married a man named Hasan on May 29.
It was the third incident "honor killing" in as many months.
Last week, 19-year-old Maria Sadaqat was tortured and burned by a group of people in a village close to the holiday resort of Muree, outside the capital Islamabad, for refusing a marriage proposal from the son of a former colleague.
Another woman believed to be aged between 16 to 18 was drugged, strangled and her body burned on the orders of a village jirga (council) in Northwest Pakistan on April 29,allegedly for helping a friend to elope with her lover.
Zeenat's husband Hasan told local TV station Geo News that the pair had eloped, but he had reluctantly allowed her to return to her family home after they promised they would hold a celebration and not harm her.
He said; "after living with me for four days following our marriage, her family contacted us and promised they would throw us a proper wedding party after eight days then we could live together.
"Zeenat was unwilling to go back to her home and told me that she would be killed by her family but later agreed when one of her uncles guaranteed her safety.
"After two days, she called me and said that her family had gone back on their word and asked me to come get her, but I told her to wait for the promised eight days. Then, she was killed."
Police said Perveen and other family members had confessed to the crime and seized kerosene oil from the scene. Hundreds of women are murdered by their own family in Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honor.
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