Pregnant Woman’s murder outside LHC: Four more suspects arrested

 
    Lahore, May 30 (PTI) Lahore police today arrested four alleged killers of a young pregnant woman who was stoned to death near a superior
judiciary in Lahore on May 27.

    “We have arrested an uncle and three cousins of Farzana Parveen and raids are underway to arrest her two brothers,” Lahorepolice spokesman Niyab Haider told PTI. “We are trying hard to meet the deadline given to Lahore police by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to arrest all the nominated accused in the case within 24 hours,” he said. The police have inserted Anti-Terrorism Act sections in the FIR on the direction of the chief minister. 
      Farzana Parveen, 25, was going to the Lahore High Court along with her husband Muhammad Iqbal, 45, on the morning of May 27 when her father, two brothers and some other relatives attacked them on Fane Roadnear the Lahore High Court with bricks. Farzana died on the spot after suffering critical head wounds while Iqbal managed to escape.   
     Iqbal, a resident of Nanakana Sahib, some 80 kilometers from Lahore, told police that he contracted a love marriage with Farzana (also a resident of Nankana) a few months ago. “We contracted court marriage as the family of Farzana was not happy,” he said, adding since their marriage the family members of Farzana continuously were hurling threats at the couple. “They had filed an abduction case against me in the Lahore High Court and on May 27 we were to appear in the court in this regard,” he said. 
      Iqbal said Farzana was a three-monthpregnant. The father Farzana, Muhammad Azeem has already been arrested but he expressed no remorse on the cold-blooded murder and termed it “honour killing”. He also alleged that Farzana was already married to her cousin before she eloped with Iqbal and contracted illegal marriage with him.
      Lahore Investigation Wing head Zulfiqar Hamid said Iqbal had murdered his first wife six years ago. His son who was complainant in the case later pardoned him. Iqbal said he had killed his wife because of his love for Farzana. 
       Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom have taken strong exception to the horrific incident and called on Islamabad to bring to justice the killers of Farzana. 
       National Commission on the Status of Women Khawar Mumtaz said the incident highlights impunity with which killings in the name of honour are occurring through the country. “The major lacunas in the Honour Killings Act 2004 has rendered the law useless as it fails to provide protection to victims and punishment for perpetrators of the heinous crime,” she said.
PTI

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