Pakistan woman killed for refusing marriage proposal; suspect arrested

A 19-year-old university student was allegedly murdered by a relative after she refused his marriage proposal, police in Pakistan said, in a case that has triggered public outrage and renewed calls to address gender-based violence.

The victim, identified as Kinza, was a student at the University of Agriculture in Rawalpindi. According to a police report filed by her father, Muhammad Aslam, Kinza had left Rawalpindi on July 18 to visit her family in Jhang, a city in Punjab province.

Her father said Kinza boarded a bus around 11 a.m. and remained in touch with her family throughout the journey. At 5:43 p.m., she informed them she had reached the Jhang bypass and was taking a rickshaw home. However, she never arrived.

Her family searched for her through the night and reported her missing at the Saddar Jhang police station.

On the morning of July 19, police were alerted about the discovery of a young woman’s body near Chiniot Road. Kinza’s father confirmed her identity at the scene. Her belongings were found nearby, along with rickshaw tire marks, indicating she had been transported there.

SP Investigation Abid Hussain Zafar told reporters that the suspect, identified as Tayyab Idrees, a relative of the victim, had been arrested.

According to police, Idrees kidnapped Kinza and confessed during initial interrogation to poisoning her after she refused his marriage proposal.

“The accused forced the victim to consume poisoned food, which led to her death,” Zafar said. A post-mortem report is expected to confirm the cause of death.

The killing has drawn widespread condemnation, with social media users comparing it to a recent alleged honor killing in Balochistan, where a couple was shot dead for marrying by choice.

“One woman was killed for saying no, another for saying yes,” read one viral post.

The case has reignited debate in Pakistan over gender-based violence and so-called honor killings, issues that persist despite legal reforms and growing public awareness.