The 18-year-old girl had married a motorcycle mechanic.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
An 18-year-old girl was burnt alive in Pakistan by her mother for marrying her lover, defying the parents, on Wednesday.
The police arrested the mother Parveen Rafiq from Factory Area, Lahore, for allegedly killing Zeenat Rafiq, reported AP.
“The girl’s mother has been detained and we have already launched an investigation into the incident and have started gathering evidence from the scene,” Factory Area police told Tribune.
According to the police, Zeenat Rafiq married Hassan Khan, a motorcycle mechanic, a week back. Immediately after the marriage, Parveen Rafiq approached her daughter and asked her to come back home for conducting the marriage according to religious traditions.
“After living with me for four days following our marriage, her family contacted us and promised they would throw us a proper wedding party after eight days then we could live together,” Hassan told local TV station Geo News.
“Zeenat was unwilling to go back to her home and told me that she would be killed by her family but later agreed when one of her uncles guaranteed her safety,” he added.
But, Parveen changed her promise when Zeenat reached home. On Wednesday, Parveen tied up Zeenat to a cot with the help of her son, poured kerosene on her and set her on fire. Parveen has confessed to the crime.
Thousands of women are killed in Pakistan every year in the name of honor.
Last month, a 15-year-old girl from Makol village near Abbottabad was strangled and her body was set on fire following the decision of a local tribal council. It was a punishment given by the tribal council for helping her friend elope.