Lahore, Oct 23 – A Pakistani court has sentenced a 21-year-old man, Muhammad Abbas, to death for the brutal murder of his mother and three sisters in a case of honour killing. The ruling was announced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Sajjad Hussain Baloch in Kabirwala, approximately 290 km from Lahore, on Thursday.

The horrific incident occurred in June of the previous year when Abbas shot his three sisters while they were working on their farmland. He subsequently returned home and killed his mother. Abbas had expressed doubts regarding the character of his family members, which he claimed led to his violent actions. The court official confirmed that Abbas confessed to the murders, stating that he committed the acts to protect what he perceived as the family’s honour.

This case underscores the persistent issue of honour crimes in Pakistan, where women are frequently targeted by their own relatives. Data from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reveals that between 2004 and 2016, there were 15,222 recorded incidents of honour killings, averaging 1,170 cases annually. However, the actual figures are believed to be significantly higher, as many incidents go unreported due to societal pressures and the tendency for families to resolve disputes outside of the legal system. Furthermore, there exists a troubling level of support for perpetrators within certain segments of society, where the criminal nature of these murders is often overlooked in cultural contexts.