A man who recently relocated his family from the United States to Pakistan has confessed to killing his teenage daughter, citing disapproval of her TikTok content, police informed the BBC.
Authorities have charged Anwar ul-Haq with homicide following his admission that he shot his daughter, Hira, in Quetta, a city in southwestern Pakistan, on Tuesday. Initially, he had alleged that unidentified individuals were responsible for the shooting.
Motive Behind the Crime
Ul-Haq, who holds US citizenship, expressed that he deemed his daughter’s TikTok posts “objectionable.” Law enforcement officials are examining various possibilities, including whether the incident qualifies as an honour killing, a practice that remains prevalent in the country.
The Prevalence of Honour Killings in Pakistan
According to human rights organisations, Pakistan witnesses hundreds of so-called honour killings annually, the majority of victims being women. These crimes are typically perpetrated by relatives who claim to be upholding their family’s dignity.
In Hira Anwar’s case, authorities disclosed that she was between 13 and 14 years old, and her family had objections to “her dressing, lifestyle, and social interactions.”
Hira’s Background and Investigation Progress
Hira’s family had resided in the United States for 25 years before returning to Pakistan, during which time she had already begun creating and sharing videos on TikTok. Investigators have secured her mobile phone, which remains locked.
Additionally, police reported that Hira’s father’s brother-in-law has also been taken into custody in connection with the case.
Legal Consequences and Precedents
If the investigation confirms the crime as an honour killing and the accused are convicted, they will face a mandatory life sentence. Pakistan’s government amended the law in 2016, eliminating the loophole that previously allowed perpetrators to escape punishment if pardoned by the victim’s relatives.
Similar cases have been prosecuted in recent years. In 2023, an Italian court sentenced a Pakistani couple to life in prison for murdering their 18-year-old daughter, who had refused an arranged marriage.
The year before, the brother of Pakistani social media influencer Qandeel Baloch was acquitted on appeal after initially receiving a life sentence for her 2016 murder, which he justified as necessary to preserve the family’s honour.
(BBC)
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