This story, from Reuters, via NBC News, is too short to excerpt.
I will not be commenting on it, because I don\’t know what can be added that would make its message clearer to any civilized person. The bold print is mine.
FamilyStones Pakistani Woman to Death in \’Honor Killing\’ Outside Court
LAHORE,Pakistan – A 25-year-old woman was stoned to death by her familyoutside one of Pakistan\’s top courts on Tuesday in a so-called”honor” killing for marrying the man she loved, policesaid.
FarzanaIqbal was waiting for the High Court in the eastern city of Lahore toopen when a group of around dozen men began attacking her withbricks, said Umer Cheema, a senior police officer.
Herfather, two brothers and former fiance were among the attackers, hesaid. Iqbal suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead inthe hospital, police said.
Allthe suspects except her father escaped. He admitted killing hisdaughter, Cheema said, and explained it was a matter of honor. ManyPakistani families think a woman marrying her own choice of manbrings dishonor on the family.
Iqbalhad been engaged to her cousin but married another man, Cheema said.Her family registered a kidnapping case against him but Iqbal hadcome to court to argue that she had married of her own free will, hesaid.
Around1,000 Pakistani women are killed every year by their families inhonor killings, according to Pakistani rights group the AuratFoundation.
Thetrue figure is probably many times higher since the Aurat Foundationonly compiles figures from newspaper reports. The government does notcompile national statistics.
Policecollect evidence near the body of Farzana Iqbal, who was killed byfamily members, at the site near the Lahore High Court building inLahore May 27, 2014. Iqbal, 25, was stoned to death by her familyoutside one of Pakistan\’s top courts on Tuesday in a so-called”honour” killing for marrying the man she loved, policesaid. Iqbal was waiting for the High Court in the eastern city ofLahore to open when a group of around dozen men began attacking herwith bricks, said Umer Cheema, a senior police officer.
Campaignerssay few cases come to court, and those that do can take years to beheard. No one tracks how many cases are successfully prosecuted.
Eventhose that do result in a conviction may end with the killers walkingfree. Pakistani law allows a victim\’s family to forgive their killer.
Butin honour killings, most of the time the women\’s killers are herfamily, said Wasim Wagha of the Aurat Foundation. The law allows themto nominate someone to do the murder, then forgive him.
“Thisis a huge flaw in the law,” he said. “We are reallystruggling on this issue.”
