GUJRAT: The father-in-law of a pregnant woman who was killed on Jan 14 confessed to asphyxiating his daughter-in-law over an honour-related issue at Chak Jamal of the Jhelum Saddar police precincts.

Police said Tahira Bibi was married to Tasaddaq Nawaz around six months ago and her relationship with her in-laws was tense for the last couple of months.

Tahira’s brother Irfan Ali told the police on Jan 14 that his sister’s father-in-law, Muhammad Nawaz, had informed them that Tahira had died. Irfan’s family arrived at Tahira’s house and when they inquired about the cause of her death, her in-laws did not give a proper reply and started quarrelling with them, which raised the suspicion that she was perhaps killed.

Irfan Ali complained to police to investigate the matter. The police shifted the dead body to the district headquarters hospital where doctors conducted an autopsy, confirming that the case of death was asphyxiation. The police detained Tahira’s husband, father-in-law and brother-in-law for investigation.

The police said the suspect, Nawaz, had confessed to killing his Tahira for honour as he claimed to have seen her with an unidentified man. He had killed Tahira by putting pillow at her mouth.

A case had already been lodged against the suspect and his two sons on the report of Irfan Ali.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2020