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Corpses found in a box: Dead couple victim of honour-killing: police

* Police suspects girl’s brother behind murder
* Girl’s parents refuse to accept body

By Ali Waqar

LAHORE: Police have said that the two corpses found in a box near the Expo Centre at Johar Town last Monday were those of a couple in love, murdered by the girl’s brothers.

Talking to Daily Times on Friday, police officials said that the prime suspect of what they called an honour killing was still at large.

The bodies were found on Monday afternoon after local residents complained of a stinking box that possibly had a corpse in it.

Identified as Umar, 29, son of Muhammad Iqbal, from Mian Hakam (a village in the Vehari disrict) and Jannat, 25, daughter of Ahmad Yar from Ghulam Bhatti Colony (in Kot Lakhpat), the couple in love were cousins.

The bodies were not identified until Tuesday and were handed over to the relatives after autopsy. Umar’s father received his body, while Uzma’s parents did not receive her body. It was handed over to her maternal uncle.

The first information report (number 415/ 07) was lodged on Tuesday. The complainant was a local resident, Muhammad Iqbal, police officials told Daily Times.

Umar’s father, also named Muhammad Iqbal, contacted the police later on Tuesday and became a complainant.

Police said Jannat’s brothers had killed the couple and put their dead bodies in a box, which they kept in their house for two days until it began to stink. They loaded it on a donkey-cart then, police said, and threw it in on the roadside in Johar Town. Some passers-by saw them, however, police said. They said the witnesses included the first complainant, Muhammad Iqbal.

Sub Inspector Muhammad Ishaq, the investigation officer, told Daily Times police were carrying out raids to arrest the suspects. He hoped they would be arrested in two days.

A monthly report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) published recently in an Urdu magazine cites 36 honour killings in various parts of the country. Twenty-eight of the victims were women. The report gathers data from national newspapers.

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