Woman and husband arrested for killing own family in Pakistan's Punjab

A young woman and her husband have been arrested in Pakistan's Punjab province on suspicion of murdering her parents and two brothers in their family home, police said Tuesday.

Ashfaq Hussain, 50, his wife Sughra Bibi alias Rabia, 45, and their sons Irfan, 22, and Babar, 20, were found with their throats slit Monday morning in their home in Purana Kotha village, district Jhelum, about 120 kilometers southeast of Islamabad.

Police arrested the couple's daughter Ayesha and her husband Shehroz late Monday, alleging they orchestrated the killings following a prolonged family dispute over the woman's choice of marriage.

Repeated 'abductions'

The case stems from what police describe as repeated 'abductions'. According to the First Information Report filed at Kala Gujran Police Station, Shehroz had twice kidnapped Ayesha against her family's wishes. Though village elders intervened both times to return her, tensions escalated when Shehroz threatened the family with "dire consequences" if they didn't allow the marriage.

Honor killings — murders committed by family members against relatives perceived to have brought shame upon the family — remain a serious problem in Pakistan despite legislative reforms. The practice typically targets women, though this case represents a rare reversal where the woman allegedly turned against her own family.

Harshest punishment

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered a detailed investigation through provincial legislator Hina Parvez Butt, who condemned what she called a "barbaric act against all social values."

"There will be no compromise on the protection of human life," Butt said in a statement. "The culprits will face the harshest punishment and every drop of blood will be accounted for."

The accused couple faces murder charges and remain in police custody pending court proceedings.