On Monday, authorities exhumed the body of a young woman, suspected to be a victim of an honor killing in Rawalpindi’s Pir Wadhai area, and performed an autopsy as part of the ongoing investigation into the grim murder.
The exhumation took place under the supervision of Area Magistrate Qamar Abbas Tarar, with Dr. Misbah from Holy Family Hospital also present at the site.
Subsequently, the forensic team collected samples from the body.
The case concerns the murder of a 19-year-old woman, reportedly killed in the name of so-called honor following a jirga’s decision, and secretly buried in a local graveyard.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by her husband on July 21, the woman, who was married to Zia-ur-Rehman, had allegedly left her home on July 11 with gold jewelry, PKR 150,000 in cash, and her personal belongings.
The FIR further states that he later learned she had married a man named Usman, despite being previously wed.
She is believed to have been murdered on July 16 and interred the following day.
Expanding on the unfolding investigation and case specifics, Rawalpindi’s City Police Officer (CPO), speaking on Geo News’ program “Geo Pakistan,” stated that the police had identified the woman’s murder on the very night of the killing, July 17.
The victim’s second husband, Usman, later surrendered to the police, presenting the couple’s Nikahnama (marriage certificate) which indicated their marriage date as July 12 in Muzaffarabad.
Earlier, the young woman had also given a statement before a judicial magistrate, seeking court protection.
Police sources reveal that in her court statement, the woman claimed she had willingly married Usman, and disclosed that her father had passed away, her mother had remarried, and her first husband had verbally divorced her.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Ilyas, the victim’s father-in-law and Usman’s father, recorded a video statement asserting that he and his family live modestly as laborers. He arranged between PKR 30,000 to 40,000 to help the victim secure court protection.
Four days after the wedding, armed men allegedly entered their home and threatened the family’s lives, Ilyas stated in his video message.
He added that the family subsequently returned the woman to her relatives after her marriage was finalized. Tragically, they learned of her murder two days later.
